Crimson Justice
by Hope Everlasting
Summary: Tessa White was always thought to be freak and anti-social. With an IQ of 185 she grew up to join the BAU with her best friend Spencer Reid. As Gideon gets pulled back into work after Boston Tessa and Reid follow him. Tessa now must put her skills to work, being tested constantly throughout the years and learning to grow. Perhaps she's getting more than what she bargained for.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Guys! Thanks for giving this story a try! So here's the first chapter! Hope you guys like it! (Please keep reading even if the first chapter doesn't catch your eye immeditly, it gets better!)**

Reid walked in with a envelope.

"What's that?" I asked looking up from my book.

"Case, or something. I imagine. Also there are some people in black suites out there standing in the hall…" Reid said turning around as the door opened. Gideon walked in followed by two other agents.

"You're gonna be is seattle with us asap." A tall one said, he had white skin and a stern look about him. His jaw was square and his eyes focused, his hair was black and brushed into a short style, this was Agent Hotchner. Both men wore black suit with white shorts. The second man Agent Morgen was a bit more relaxed than the first, he was a light brown color, his hair was dark brown and closely shaved to his head. Gideon looked up surprised at the accusation.

"22 year old Heather Woodland." Agent Morgan said stepping forward showing Gideon a picture, "before she left for lunch, she downloaded an email with a time-delayed virus attached." Hotch explained, "the killer's virus wiped her hard drive and left this on the screen." Hotch handed Gideon a piece of paper. Gideon looked at it then back at Hotch, he walked over to the wall with a bunch of his other papers pinned to it, "for heavens sake catch me before I kill more, I cannot control myself." He read from the paper.

"He never keeps them for more than seven days." Hotch said, "which means we have fewer than 36 hours to find her."

"They want you back in the saddle, you ready?" Morgan asked.

"Looks like medical leave's over, boss." Reid said.

"They sure they want me?" Gideon asked. Hotch nodded, "the order came from the director."

"Then we better get started."

Gideon, Reid and I all packed our clothes and anything else we might need and headed over to the BAU's airport.

"His first victim was 26 year old Melissa Kirsch." Reid said as we sat on the plane, half of the papers were on his lap the other half on mine, "stab wounds, strangulation."

"Wait, wait, back it up." Morgan said, "he stabbed her and then, strangled her to finish her off?"

"Other way around. Why do you think her started using the belt with the second murder" Gideon asked.

"Strangulation with your bare hands is not as easy as one would believe." I explained, "he tried, probably found that it took too long…"

"So he stabbed her instead." Hotch finished off, I nodded, "and realized it would be hours cleaning up the blood."

"Next time, our boy's got a method-the belt." Morgan said.

"He's learning, perfecting his scenario." Gideon explained, "becoming a better killer." We spent the rest of the plane ride looking at papers and sorting through evidence and clues. When the plane landed we took two cars to the F.B.I headquarters.. Northwest field office in Seattle, Washington. We walked in having to put our packs through security. As we were walking Morgan tapped Reid on the shoulder, "he never stands with his back to a window," He said to both of us, "When I was between him and a doorway, he asked me to move."

"That's hyper vigilance. It's not uncommon in post traumatic stress disorder." Reid explained.

"Just how much disorder are we talking about?" Morgan asked. Hotch had stopped to listen to us.

"Morgan," he said, "it's been six months. Everything's okay." I nodded. Hotch showed us to one of the work rooms, "this is special Agent Gideon, special Agent Morgan, our expert on obsessional crimes special Agent Reid, and White-." He introduced us.

"Dr. Reid, and Dr. White." Gideon corrected him. I had my light brown hair laid over my shoulder, my shirt was a grey and the sleeves went down to the middle of my forearm, I had a black jean jacket on, and blue jeans, along with my FBI jacket.

"Dr. Reid, and Dr. White." Hotch announced, "our experts on, well, everything. And after busting my butt in this office for two years, I hope you remember me."

"He's willing to travel with the body." Gideon looked at the boards of stuff they had on the case.

"Then he drives a vehicle capable of concealing one." Hotch said.

"1 in 7.4 drivers in Seattle owns an SUV." Reid said.

"Explorer with tinted windows." Morgan said.

"Explorers rate higher with women." I said looking around at the boards.

"But how do we know it's his car?" He asked again, "Ted Bundy drove a VW bug."

"What about a Jeep Cherokee?" Hotch asked.

"Jeeps are more masculine." Reid explained.

"We all know how an unsub feels about asserting his masculinity." Gideon said tearing his eyes from the boards.

"When did the Bureau become involved in the case?" Hotch asked moving over to a board with papers on it.

"After the fourth body," a man answered, "he dumped that one out of state."

"On purpose." Hotch said looking over at Gideon.

"If so, law enforcement does suggest a criminal record." Reid said moving to another bored.

"Or that he watches television. May I?" Morgan asked reaching his hand out for the red folder a man was holding about the body dumped out of state.

"So, do you want to see our suspect list?" Another Agent asked.

"No, we won't look at a suspect list till after we come up with a profile." Hotch answered, "we need to keep an open mind."

"When do we sit down with your task force?" Gideon asked.

"Four O'clock." The same guy answered. I glanced at him surprised.

"An accurate profile by four o'clock today?" Morgan asked.

"That's not a problem." Gideon said moving around the room again.

"Agent Gideon, where would you like to start?" Hotch asked following him.

"At the site of the last murder." He answered.

While the others were at the murder site, Hotch took us to look through Heather's house. The dog began to bark at Reid making him and I jump.

"I am so sorry." The man said calming the dog.

"No, it's okay. We call it the 'Reid effect' happens with children too." Hotch said, "I'm agent Hotchner, this is special Agent Dr. Reid, and special Agent Dr. White." Hotch introduced us.

"You two look too young to have gone to medical school." The man said pulling the dog away.

"There are PhDs, three of them. For both of us." Reid explained.

"Are you two geniuses or something?" He asked.

"I-I don't believe that intelligence can be accurately quantified-but I do have an I.Q. of 187, an eidetic memory and can read 20,00 words per minute." Reid explained, "Dr. White has an I.Q of 185, also and eidetic memory and can also read 20,ooo words per minute." The man looked at the two of us, "yes, we are geniuses." We both turned away and started to look around. Sandy, the dog barked again, "Sandy, you get a lot of attention don't you?" Hotch said petting the dog.

"It's Heather dog." The man, who was Heather's brother said, "I feed her when Heather is away. Usually she's fine, but…lately she won't eat. It's almost like she can sense something's wrong."

"Not sense, smell." Reid said, "our…apocrine sweat glands releases secretions in response to emotional stress." Hotch explained Reid's words to David.

"David, does Heather drive a Datsun Z?" I asked looking at magazines of cars on the TV.

"No, she's in the market for one, how'd you know?" He asked. I held up the magazines. Reid and Hotch came over and looked at them. David took Sandy out of the room.

"There's an immediate relationship established between and buyer and a seller," I explained, "a level of trust. If you want to coax a young women into my car…"

"Offer her a test drive." Hotch finished, I nodded.

We were back at the office discussing the case.

"Okay, then how 'bout the fact that on one hand, we have paranoid psychosis…but the autopsy protocol says what?" Morgan asked throwing a ball up in the air as he paced.

"Adhesive residue shows he put layer after layer of duct-tape over his victim's eyes." Reid responded spinning in a chair.

"He knows he wants to kill him," Morgan started, "but he still covers their eyes. He doesn't want 'em looking at him."

"Apparently." Hotch spoke up.

"Okay, but then he takes the body and dumped it right out in the open, murder weapon nearby." Morgan continued.

"It's not the M.O. of a paranoid convinced he's being watched or surveilled." I said thinking holding my knees to my chest thinking.

"Paranoid psychosis, but behavior that's not paranoid." Morgan said.

"Maybe he's schizophrenic." Hotch suggested.

"Maybe we just don't have enough for a complete profile." Morgan argued.

"We have enough to narrow our list of suspects." Hotch said back.

"We're looking at less than 12 hours to have to find this women." Morgan snapped,

"We don't know exactly what-"

Morgan cut Hotch off, "Hotch, we don't know anything!"

"All right, enough." Gideon said facing the bored, "Hotch tell them we're ready." He turned away from the bored and started to walk toward the door, "we're ready?" Morgan asked confused as Gideon walked out the door.

"Reid, Tess." Morgan said to us, "you're good with this?" He asked, "we've got a woman who's only got a few hours left to live, an incomplete profile, and our unit chief on the verge of a nervous breakdown." Morgan said as Gideon came back into the room.

"They don't call them nervous breakdown anymore." He said grabbing his phone.

"It's called a major depressive episode." Reid said and went back to writing on a notepad.

"I know, Reid." Morgan said sighing. We all went to the de-briefing room, and listened to Gideon explain the profile. He was smart, though it all about revealing that he thought or knows that the police have already interviewed him. The next thing they did was look at the suspect list, then narrowed it down, and sent a team of agents to trap the guy. Her name was Elle Greenaway, and she was one of the best. Once he was secure we searched the house.

"There's no sign of the girl here." Reid said as Gideon walked into the house.

"We can arrest him with probable cause, but we won't be able to hold him." I explained, "sleemans been at the top of the suspect list."

"Is that the mother?" Gideon asked looking at the women sitting in the kitchen at a table.

"Grandmother." Elle said stepping out from the living room, "the mother died in a fire when he was 13." Gideon nodded, "probably not the only fire in his childhood." He continued to walk into the living room.

"Before his son of Sam murders, David Berkowitz set a multitude of fires." Reid explained.

"Exactly how much is a multitude?" Morgan asked.

"According to his diary…" Reid began, "1,400 and…" He paused furrowing his brow while thinking.

"88." I answered.

Reid nodded, "yeah."

"Luring him out was your idea, right? Greenway?" Gideon asked, looking at the women who was standing with us.

"Ell" She nodded, "I don't send a SWAT team into a house with children." She shook her head.

"Hitch says your background is in sex offender cases." Gideon responded, "what can you tell us?"

"The last four murder shows that the unsub is an anger-excitation rapist. He'll keep a victim for a couple of days. He probably records or video tapes them, so he can keep living hi fantasy."

"Would you be okay with Hotch being in on the interview?" Gideon asked.

"I'd like him to lead, actually." Ell answered. Gideon and Hotch went to look around the garage. Reid and I walked around the house.

"Spence." I gestured him to what looked like a closet door, but when I opened it it lead up a stairwell.

"I'll get Gideon." Spence said before leaving down the stairs. Slowly I walked up the stairs to find the attic converted into a bedroom. It was crowded with boxes and things everywhere.

"He probably lives in here." Gideon said entering the room with Reid, "see what you can find that might help with the profile. We missed something." We began to look through the room carefully. Reid was writing down notes on a notepad. While I looked around at things on the desks.

"What kind of game is that?" Elle asked walking over to Reid.

"In China, it's called Wei-Chi. Here we call it go." He explained, "It's considered to be the most difficult board game ever conceived."

"Chairman Mao required all hi generals to learn it…" I added walking over to it looking at it carefully, "it looks like he's playing himself." Reid nodded.

"How can you tell?" Elle asked. I took my hand and spun the board which sat upon a Lazy Susan.

"This might provide an advantage actually." Reid noted, "Go is considered to be a particularly psychologically revealing game. There, are profiles for every player-the conservative point counter, the aggressor, the finesser."

"What kind of player is Slessman?" Hotch asked stepping forward. Reid and I both looked down at the board closely. After a moment we both looked at each other and nodded.

"Extreme aggressor." We spoke in unison. Hotch and Gideon both looked at each other worried. Gideon, Reid, Ell and I went downstairs to find Morgan messing with a computer. Reid was on the phone talking to someone.

"What's the number six at the bottom of the screen?" Elle asked looking at the computer.

"It's the number of password attempts before the program wipes the hard drive." Morgan explained.

"There could be an email or a journal on the computer, something that Ellis us where Heather is." Elle guessed, "can you break in?"

"In six tried?" Morgan scoffed.

"Try again. Fail again. Fail better." Gideon stated.

"Samuel Beckett." I nodded.

"Try not. Do or do not." Morgan countered.

"Yoda." Reid said as Gideon looked at him. Reid went back to writing notes, and Gideon turned to look at a bookshelf. After a moment he pulled a book out and began to flip through it suddenly stopping. I glanced over at the page he was looking at. It was the cut out of a newspaper article, of him. From Boston.

"I wanna talk to him." Gideon looked up at Reid and I before leaving the room. I watched him march down the hallway to where they were keeping Slessman. Morgan kept looking at the computer.

"Reid, Tessa, Elle." Gideon came into the room, "we need to head back to the station. Morgan stay here and see if you can unlock the computer."

###

"A second killer?" Elle asked as we headed down stairs of the office the next day.

"Not unusual. Remember Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris?" Gideon asked.

"1979. They outfitted a van to rape and murder girls in California." Elle answered.

"We're looking for some who fits the similar relationship?" Hotch asked.

"They're not equals. Slessmans smart but he is submissive personality." Gideon responded.

"So, number two is the dominant." Elle stated.

"Authoritative, arrogant. Most likely not as smart as Slessman." I jumped in walking beside Hotch.

"He's like the schoolyard bully, recruiting a good underlining- he be protective of Richard." Gideon explained, "he'll make him feel like he owes him."

"If Richard's been up in the attic fantasizing about being an extreme aggressor, this guy shoved him how to do it." Hotch responded.

"He helped him take the first step." Gideon nodded.

"I think we should interview him, use this as pressure." Elle suggested.

"No, no. We need leverage." Gideon stopped walking and turned to Elle and hand out in front of him, "a name."

"From the suspect list?" Elle guessed.

"That'll take too long, there's gotta be a faster way." Gideon shook his head.

"There is." I spoke up, the three all looked at me, "his grandmother. She could know something, and she might not even know it."

"Good idea." Gideon nodded and began walking again, "Hotch you can talk to her, Elle with me, and Tessa I need you to go find Reid."

"Yep." I nodded and departed from the group. I walked through the hallways of the building before coming to an open space of desks finding Reid sitting at one of them.

"Hotch is gonna talk to Richard's grandmother. See if she knows any of his friends." I said sitting down next to him, "you found anything?"

"No…" Reid shook his head going through different pictures of Richards's house. I turned in my chair and looked at the papers scattered across the desk. My eyes darted from one to another quickly as I read them. After a while the fax machine came on, began printing a paper.

"It that the address for Linder?" Hotch asked walking over.

"Yeah, it's coming up right now. Reid told him, "does senior management want a field assessment on Gideon?" My head tureen towards Hotch for an answer.

"Don't worry about it." He said.

"A-are they nervous about him being in charge?" I questioned.

"Aren't you two on your way back to Slessman's house to help Morgan?" Hotch looked at us both before turning to walk away.

"Do you know why he always introduces Tessa and I as doctor?" Reid asked stopping Hotch, who slowly walked back over sighing.

"Because he knows that people see you two as kids, and he wants to make sure that they respect you." Hotch looked between the two of us, "is that the address?" Hotch asked as I looked at the paper, "I don't think it matters anymore.." I handed it to him. Linder was dead.

"I'll call Gideon." Hotch walked away to a phone. Reid and I went back to Slessmans house and found Morgan rummaging through his bedroom.

"Morgan?" I asked looked around the room.

"Genius's great!" Morgan exclaimed turning towards us, "look I need help trying to find a passcode. Look in here and see if there is anything you can find, especially at the discs, I'll be in the attic." He left. I walked into the room slowly and picked up some books and began looking through them.

"Where would you keep a password?" Reid asked looking through discs.

"I'd never forget it…" I sighed picking up another book After an hour Reid was on the surrounded by discs, and I was on the floor in the same position but surrounded by books.

"Wasn't there a computer up stairs?" Reid asked suddenly.

"Yeah." I nodded recalling the room in my head. Without a word he got up and walked out of the room.

"Reid?" Pushing myself up I followed him up into the attic. Morgan was walking around mumbling to himself.

"I've been thinking about the CDs" Reid said walking over to him.

"Oh, come on Reid, I've tried the CDs."Morgan sighed sitting on the couch. We searched sifted and sorted through every one of this guys head-banging heavy metal collection…" I watched as Reid looked at the computer sitting on the desk.

"We gotta find something or this girl is dead."

"I think we may have missed the obvious." Reid said picking at the CD player in the computer with a straightened paper clip.

"What are you going?" Morgan asked watching as the CD player sprung open from the computer to reveal a Metallica CD. Morgan grabbed the disc quickly.

"What made you think of this?"

"It was the only empty case." Reid answered.

"Alright, I'm an insomniac who listens to Metallica to go to sleep at night.' Morgan held up the disc, "what song could possibly speak to me?"

"…Enter Sandman." I said. Morgan looked at me before typing into the computer.

"It worked." Morgan cheered, "okay, okay. Now we need to look for something to help us find her."

"A video." I moved over to the left of Morgan, "part of the provable Elle gave was that he probably records the victims."

Morgan began to search the computer.

"Oh my God…" Morgan mumbled as a livestream came into the screen. It was Heather.

"Gideon." Morgan said through the phone, "Heathers alive…we're watching her right now."

###

Gideon was with Elle trying to find Linder, Hotch was trying to get an address out of Richard.

"Hey Morgan, can you show me the last 12 imagines lined up next to each other?" Reid asked looking at the computer screen. Morgan nodded and put the pictures up. Reid grabbed my sleeve and pulled me closer as he pointed the the pictures.

"You see that?" He asked pointing at the lightbulb hanging from the ceiling.

"Yeah." I breathed out.

"What is it?" Morgan asked.

"It's moving." I replied, "swaying."

"Like the Earth is tipping." Reid commented.

"Not the earth Doc. The ocean." Morgan looked at us, "I'm calling Hotch."

"He's gonna be at a dock, or a pier." I moved in front of the computer.

"He wouldn't be able to transmit the video from the middle of the Ocean." Reid finished.

"Hotch got the address. Elle and Gideon are headed there now." Morgan came back over to the computer. After a while another figure appeared in the frame.

"That's him." My eyes didn't leave the screen, "Morgan, he's inside." I felt my stomach turn. Morgan immediately began to call Elle, telling her to wait. From what he was saying it sounded like she wasn't.

"She's out of the cage." Reid spoke as another frame came up. The next from held nothing, no one was in the picture.

"They have got to get there in time." I murmured.

They did. In the early morning we were all called to the dock where Tim had kept Heather. TIm was dead and Heather was being taken to the hospital. Gideon had gotten shot.

"Guess what Gideon means in Hebrew?" Hotch asked as Reid and I walked closer.

"Mighty warrior." Reid answered as we walked by, "appropriate."

"What do you think they're gonna do about Gideon?" Reid asked once we were out of earshot of the others.

"He's good at what he does. And they requested him for this." I explained, "I think they'll bring him back."

"Hopefully." Reid responded. After making sure everything was taken care of with Richard, we all got on a plane and headed back to Quantico. I sat in a chair my FBI jacket around me as I read a book on quantum physics.

"I thought you already read that one?" Gideon asked peering over at me. Shaking my head I showed him the cover, "fifth edition."

"How many did you bring?"

"Only the fourth and fifth." I answered smiling lightly. He chuckled, "carry one." He turned back to his computer, and I to my books.

 **Well, there's the first chapter! Hope you guys liked it! Feel freee to leave a comment if so desired! Please Keep Reading! Thanks!:)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! This is the second chapter in Criminal Justice, hope you like it! Just a hint, the things that are written in BOLD are what Tessa is thinking. Thought I'd try this idea and see how it plays out, let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

"Check." Gideon walked up and moved a chest piece from the game Reid was currently playing, "checkmate in three moves."

"What?" Reid asked confused.

"You know you'll beat him when you start learning." Morgan looked at Reid.

"Learning what?"

"To think outside the box." Morgan answered. Reid looked across at me at me desk. I shrugged and kept reading my book.

"Question for you." Elle said walking down the steps, "the footpath killer, why did he stutter?"

"Come on Elle, we've all asked him, and he won't say. He wants us to figure it out." Morgan replied leaning back in his chair.

"Okay, I'm up for a challenge." Elle sat on the side of her desk.

"Good."A women spoke walking over to Elle, "because these go to you." She sat a pile of folders on Elle's desk.

"I'm special Agent Jennifer Jareau. JJ if you like." She shook hands with Elle smiling. She had long blonde hair and pretty eyes.

"Elle."

"Greenway. Highest number of solved cases in Seattle three years running. Specialty in sex offender cases." JJ stated.

"Yeah." Elle smiled laughing lightly.

"Well, I'm the unit liaison." JJ explained as she began to walk away, "my specialty is untangling bureaucratic knots."

"BAU team, can you meet me in the conference room please?" Hotch asked walking to the room already, "I need to show you something." I got up and followed the others into the conference room, taking me seat beside Reid.

"This is from the Phoenix office Bradshaw College in Tempe, six fires in seven months." Hotch began once we were all seated.

"Who recorded it?" Gideon asked. I opened the files we were given and began looking them over.

"A student." JJ answered, "with a digital camcorder. He was watching the fire in the building across from their dorm. The other person you'll see is his roommate, Matthew Rowland." She played a video that started with showing two fires in a dorm.

"Is that the kid?" Gideon asked as a boy looked into the camera.

"Yeah that's him." Hotch replied. Next the video showed the boy going over to the door, gas was bright leaked under it. Next he caught fire.

"We need to get there immediately." Gideon stood up once the video ended, "be on the plane in ten." The team dispersed. Walking back to my desk I began to put my stuff in my bag.

"Ready?" Reid asked appearing at my desk

"Yeah." I nodded grabbing another bag with clothes in it from under my desk.

###

"There are two common stressors for Serial arsonist." Reid began once we were all situated on the plane. I was sitting across from him as he set up a chessboard.

"Loss of job, loss of love." Elle replied.

"When was the first fire set?" Morgan asked typing on a computer.

"March. Uh, the next one was in May, and the third one wasn't until September. Then two weeks later there were three in one night."

"He's speeding up. The fires are closer together." Gideon spoke rubbing his chin.

"Tessa, Reid, you two got an statistics on arsonists?" Morgan called.

"82% are white males between 17 and 27" Reid answered first.

"Female arsonists are far less likely, their motive is typically revenge." I added moving a chess-piece on the board. Reid continued to stare at it.

"Sounds like out boys a student." Morgan commented still typing.

"Don't be so sure." Gideon spoke looking up from the file he had, "You rely too much on precedent you never allow for the unexpected. If he went from setting one fire to three in two weeks time?"

"Rapid escalation." Hotch replied.

"He's gone from the power to damage a building to something far more satisfying." Gideon continued shaking his head, "the power over life and death…who are we talking to first?"

"Dean of students, Ellen Turner." Hotch answered while Morgan turned back to the computer.

###

I looked out at the campus as we dove in black cars. As always kids were everywhere…some of them looked the same age as Reid and I.

"I do not miss college." I breathed out as the cars parked.

"I actually liked collage." Elle commented, "why didn't you like yours?"

"I was thirteen years old. It's not that I didn't like college, but I wouldn't want to go back." My eyes looked around as we followed Gideon.

"No badges. I don't want to satisfy the unsubs need for attention." Gideon ordered as we walked down stairs, "by letting him know he got the FBI here. Try not to look official." He glanced back at us, "try to look less official." Reid, Gideon and I were the only ones who were dressed in normal clothes. Reid and I could actually pass as college students if we wanted too. He was in a light brown and white plaid shirt with brown pants and a tie. I was in a light blue dress shirt shirt along with a grey cardigan, and black skinny jeans, and black sneakers. Everyone else had on their black FBI suits. Elle shrugged off her jacket and ran back to stick it in the car, Morgan did the same. Hotch simply took off his sunglasses.

"Remember our first day at collage?" Reid asked looking around. I laughed lightly as imagines appeared in my head.

"We were really short."

"We also got lost." Reid answered. I hummed and nodded.

We quickly met with the Dean of students, and The fire inspector. Immediately I could tell the Dean was more than nervous.

"This morning the chemistry department reported several bottles of highly flammable chemicals missing." The fire inspector explained.

"I'm premier to evaluate this campus." Ellen said sternly.

"That brings with it its own problems." Hotch began, "you might evacuate the arsonist as well."

"Then the case goes unsolved, the campus reopened, but the fires start up again." Elle jumped in.

"Hotch, Gideon, wait a second." Morgan called, the group stopped walking.

"You said the chemicals went missing today." He continued, "it says here that one of the previous fires was set with diesel fuel that disappeared from the grounds keeping facility. How long after it disappeared was the fire set?"

"One day." The Ellen said regrettably. Gideon glanced at Hotch before the two wales away from the group talking quietly.

"Can we see the room that caught fire?" Hotch asked as the two walked back.

"Yes." Ellen replied.

"I'm gonna go look around Hotch." Morgan said before departing. Reid and I followed Hotch to the crime scene. The room was black and charred.

"The door was locked." Hotch said looking at it.

"Matthew Rowland and his roommate watched as the doorknob turned against the lock" Reid explained looking around.

"But the Unsub couldn't get in." Hotch folded his arms.

"So then he pours the accelerant tin to the room from the hallway." I added.

"Which means he couldn't see the fire." Hotch stated simply.

"But he could hear Matthew Rowland screaming." Reid looked back at the door.

"Yeah, but not for long. He would have left quickly." Hotch explained, "to avoid being spotted."

"It doesn't make sense." I sighed, "pyromania as a mental disorder may just be a myth, but we do know that serial arsonists derive from pleasure from pathological firesetting."

"Sex and power."

"But a serial arsonist wouldn't just set a fire and walk away." Reid stated.

"He needs to experience it." Hotch nodded.

"So why would he set a fire he couldn't watch?" Reid asked. Statistics on serial arsonists ran through my head:

 **(In head)**

 **"Serial arsonists: Most are were young white males; 58.7 percent of fires were set by offenders before 18 years of age…79.7 percent were set before 29 years of age. Overall marital adjustment and life histories of serial arsonists were poor, lack of stability in interpersonal relationships. The average educational level of serial arsonists was 10th grade, 71 percent reported prior felony arrests, and over half reported significant medical histories…"**

I was pulled from thought by Hotch's phone ringing.

"Gideon wants us downstairs." Hr explained before leaving, Reid and I following.

###

"He turned the water off just before the fires. The last three fires were set with these. Two devices, simultaneous ignition" The fires inspector explained.

"But there was on device use with Matthew Rowland." Gideon said walking closer to the table.

"He wanted to be there to enjoys the kids death." Morgan implored.

"Not necessarily." Hotch spoke up.

"Well, if the target was Matthew Rowland," Elle jumped in, "then why set the other two fires?"

"The motives for arson are relatively simple," I turned my attention to Reid as he began to talk.

"There's vandalism, crime, concealment, political statement…profit and revenge."

"We interview Matthew Rowland's roommate." The fire expert said, "he said Matthew was very well liked. No reason for revenge."

"What about vandalism?" Ellen asked.

"No. The fires are too sophisticated." Elle looked at the devices in the box, "and if he's trying to make a political statement he hasn't been clear enough."

"There's an underlying strategy in this case." Gideon said, "Matthew, firefighter, injured victims. To the unsub they're not people. They're…"

"They're objects." Hotch nodded.

"More like," Gideon began again.

"Chest pieces." Reid and I said at the same time. Elle looked at us.

"Exactly." Gideon nodded. Next we began to set up our base of sort in one of the offices in the school.

"The timer sets the road flare, which then lights the chemical mixture inside the canister. Simple." Elle shrugged

"Yet sophisticated in it simplicity's." Reid shook his head, "I-I mean, there's a meticulous construction to it."

"Chemical accelerant could mean chemistry student." Elle stood up and walked around.

"Or chemistry professor." Reid suggested.

"Mmm…I say student. You need self confidence to lecture in front of a classroom full of thirty kids."

I nodded looking down at the device in my hand.

"Arsonist are socially incompetent. This guy doesn't go on dates. He doesn't go to parties. He doesn't feel comfortable in front of groups."

My head slowly turned towards Reid and then to Elle as she began listing off some of Reid and I's personality traits. Elle looked up at us.

"And of course he's a total psychopath." Elle added quickly. Reid nodded slowly, "course." He let out a small laugh.

"Tessa." Gideon appeared in the doorway, "come with me, we're gonna go walk the halls and talk with the Ellen."

"Okay." I nodded and jumped off the counter handing the device back to Reid. He nodded and smiled at me slightly. I returned the gesture before leaving with Gideon. We met up with the dean and Gideon began to talk with her.

"Do you think we'll get a call from the hotline?" She asked.

"No." Gideon stated simply.

"If you don't mind me asking, why then did you set up the number?" She looked at him confused. Gideon looked over at and nodded. I cleared my throat and began to explain.

"Serial arsonists enjoy manipulating authorities." I began, "they like to explain themselves, communicate. We sent up the line not to hear from a witness."

"You set it up to hear from him." Ellen finished.

"Yeah." Gideon nodded as we entered another building.

"Now the evacuations…" Ellen began but I stopped paying attention and looked at Gideon. He was staring outside at a boy who had just lit a cigarette.

"Gideon?" I asked. He didn't hear me.

"We don't want a stampede on our hands." Ellen continued to talk. Next Gideon turned his attention to a water fountain.

"Gideon?" I asked again walking closer. He pushed the on button on the water fountain but no water came out.

"Agent Gideon? Dr. White?" Ellen asked.

"Gideon? What's wrong?" I looked around, then back to him. Again he didn't answer. Ellen kept calling to him, but he didn't answer. Swiftly he got up and without a second thought pulled the fire alarm on the wall.

"Everybody out of the building! GO!" He turned and ran towards the exit.

"What is it?" Ellen asked confused.

"I don't know. Just get out of the building!" I told her before following Gideon. Suddenly a scream erupted through the building.

"Up there!" Gideon exclaimed before he began to climb stairs. The further we went up the thicker the smoke became. We rounded a corner and saw an office on fire black smoke seeping from it.

"HELP! HELP ME! HELP ME!" A man screamed from within. Quickly Gideon smashed the case of a fire extinguisher and ran towards the fire.

"Stay back!" He commanded. I coughed covering my mouth, still trying to catch my breath from running. I turned and saw students watching the fire scene.

"GO! GET OUT!" I yelled at them before turning back to Gideon who was still trying to save the teacher, "Gideon! Gideon get back!"

 **"In a fire of 232 degrees a person can only last two to three minutes…"**

"Gideon!" I rushed closer trying to get him to leave, "he's gone!"

"NO!" Gideon cried.

"Tessa! Gideon!" Morgan came running around the corner.

"Morgan!" I coughed.

"Get out Tessa!" Morgan shouted grabbing Gideon, "GO!" Turing I began to run out of the building. Most of the student were already out, but the stairs on the side of the building were flooded. Sucking in a deep breath of air, finally on the ground I separated myself from the crowd looking around.

"Tessa!" I heard my name being called. Spinning around I saw Spencer jogging towards me.

"Spencer." I nodded.

"Are you okay?" He asked quickly.

"Yeah." I coughed.

"You sure? We should get you some oxygen, and make sure there isn't any ash in your airways." Spencer tried to guide me towards one of the ambulances.

"Where's Gideon? And Morgan?" I looked towards the building.

"They're okay." Elle said walking over, "are you?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"No." Reid countered. I glanced at him.

"I'm not gonna agree until you go get checked out by a paramedic." He argued. I sighed but nodded and allowed myself to be drug to an ambulance once I had seen Morgan and Gideon.

"Everyone else alright?" I asked after being okayed by a paramedic.

"Yeah, Gideon and Morgan are fine." Elle informed me. I nodded slowly before looking back at her.

"He was a teacher."

"We just couldn't stop it in time…we will next time though." She replied, "come on, let's get you some clean clothes."

"I'm gonna go talk to Gideon." Reid aid before walking away.

###

"Can I ask you something?" Elle asked after I was dressed and drying my hair with a towel.

"Sure." I nodded

"What's the deal between you and Reid?" She asked sitting on the counter.

"What do you mean?" My eyes looked back at her confused.

"How'd you to meet?" She rephrased her question.

"I moved to where he lived when I was six-did you know that, 2% of a city's total population prefers to live downtown while the Urban Land Institute reports that an impressive 75% of Millennials want to live in a central city or a close-in neighborhood, citing walkability, diversity, and proximity to jobs as the major reasons."

"Uh-huh…That it?"

"Well, I mean, there are those who like to live in the country…"

Elle just looked at me. I cleared my throat before continuing, "we were both kinda outcasts, so we just became friends." I continued, "went through high school together, and then college at Cal-Tech and Yale."

Elle nodded, "so…you guys are just friends?"

"Yeah…Why?" I asked confused. She shrugged, "just kinda seemed like it was something a bit more…or at least could turn into something more."

"Are you profiling me?" I laughed softly.

"Hey, gotta practice." Elle smiled, "come on, let's get back to the team.

"We've been at this all night and we've got nothin." Morgan announced annoyed as he set down a picture, "look at these expressions" He waved another pictures in the air, "we've got fear, a touch of horror, even a little bit of panic. Where's the guy gettin' off?" He began to pace slowly.

"When asked about his motives, Peter Dinsdale said, "I am devoted to fire. Fire is my master"." Reid recited as he looked at his computer.

"Okay…" Morgan stopped facing a wall, "so who is our boys master? 10,000 plus students." He clicked on his lighter, "and one has a serious fascination with fire." Slowly he turned back to us.

"Fire starting is one third of the homicidal triad." Elle began as Morgan put out the lighter, "an early predictor of criminal behavior, if we looked in his childhood we'd probably find all three: bedwetting, cruelty to animals."

"Perhaps an abusive father. Trouble with opposite sex, low self esteem." Gideon rubbed his forehead, "MO will be dynamic. Evolving, fire setting escalates, he thrives on panic, fear. Standard profile of a serial arsonist…"

"Based on hundreds of interviews." Reid said.

"Based on president." I added.

"Everything the unsub should be, according to research." Elle sighed.

"We're off the mark." Hotch replied thinking.

"Because of two missing elements." Gideon propose.

"Sex and power." Morgan twirled the lighter in his hand "the two motives that drive a serial arsonists." Gideon scoffed shaking his head, "we do not have a profile…I'm gonna take a walk." Gideon said before walking out.

"Reid, Tessa, why don't you two come with me?" Hotch asked, "Dean Ellen said there were some chemistry students that might be able to help."

"Sure." Spencer said before getting up, I followed. We headed down to the bottom of the science building.

"Reid? Tessa?" Hotch asked once we were in the room, "why don't you two talk to them, since they are more your age?" Reid and I looked at each other before slowly walking over to the kids in the room. There were four of them total.

"Hi-hi guys." Reid cleared his throat, "my name's Dr. Spencer Reid. This Dr. Contessa White. We're, uhh…agents with the BAU: the uh, behaviour analysis unit of the FBI…" He glanced over at me.

"It uh- it used to me called BSU, the uh, behaviour science unit," I picked up looking at them, "but, they changed it to the BAU, um," I cleared my throat, "it's part of the NCAC."

"The National Center for analysis for violent crime, which is part of this thing called the CIRG, the uh, Critical incident response group-"

"What they're trying today is," Hotch stepped in, "we'd love to know how you could help us." I nodded taking a step back. Then boy in the room stood up with a light bulb in his hand.

"See this?" He held it up, "drill a hole in the side, fill it with gasoline, or whatever's good and flammable, turn the light on. Boom. That is what went down isn't it?"

I glanced over at Hotch who was studying the boy.

"This stuffs all over the next." A girl said from the back. We all turned to look at her.

"Wanna know how to make a molotov cocktail that sets itself on fire?" She asked. Reid and I moved closer.

"Potassium. Sulfur, and sugar." She counted with her fingers, "sugar." She laughed softly, "auger which is-"

"Not exactly plutonium." The boy finished, "you could get this stuff anywhere."

"Sugar, from the supermarket." The girl picked up again.

"But you don't need to be a Chem-major to know that." Hotch stated.

"Do you think it's a chem student?" The fire inspector asked.

"You wanna know what I think?" The boy asked walking closer, "I…think." He put the lightbulb above his head, "it would be a good time to take the semester off." He pressed the lightbulb to Reid's chest. Hotch eyes him as he walked away.

"Thanks for your help." Hotch nodded to them, "come on guys." Once in the elevator, the boy slipped in through the doors.

"You need a key to get it going after ten." He said sticking a key in the elevator.

"Why are you still here?" Hotch asked skeptically.

"I can't leave." The boy laughed, "we all have projects. You know how to solve the three body problem?" He asked.

 **"Three-body problem: the problem of taking an initial set of data that specifies the positions, masses, and velocities of three bodies for some particular point."**

"Computing the mutual gravitational interaction between the earth, sun and moon?" He still looked at Hotch.

"No, I don't know how." Hotch replied.

"That's what we're trying to figure out." They boy said as the elevator stopped. As we stepped out Hotch's phone rang.

"Morgan?" He asked holding it to his ear, "we'll be right there." Hanging up he turned to Reid and I, "they got something on the tip line."

When we got there Gideon was already seated.

"What is it?" Hotch asked walking over near Morgan. Morgan pressed a button on the computer and a recording played.

"Karen. I do this for Karen." A deep raspy voice repeated the phrase. I sat on the counter listening to it.

"Play it again." Gideon asked. Morgan did.

"The call came from the office right next to Wallace's, five minutes before the fire was started." Morgan said.

"Play it again."

Morgan did.

"Again louder." Gideon still had his eyes closed. Morgan turned up the speaker and faced it towards Gideon.

"Karen. I do this for Karen."

"What is it?" Hotch asked.

"I don't know, there's just something about it…" Gideon sighed.

"Is this tape clean?" Hotch looked to Morgan.

"I can put it through some more audio filters." Garcia's voice came from the computer.

"Look, we need as close to the real voice as you can get, and anything that might be in the background. Can you do it?"

"Well I am a miracle worker." She chimed before logging off.

"Elle," Gideon said standing, "go to Dean Ellen, and ask for pictures of every girl named Karen. Interview them, Morgan, and Tessa help her. Reid come with me, we're gonna go look around."

###

"That was Karen number seven." Elle said shutting the door.

"You know, there has gotta be a faster way to do this." Morgan sighed leaning back in his chair, "how about we just change the first question to: "have you recently dated a homicidal pyromaniac?". You notice anything strange about them Pretty Girl?" Morgan asked me.

"Some were nervous. One of them is rethinking about breaking up with her boyfriend…bit other than that no." I shook my head.

"Speaking of questions, you figured out yet why the footpath killer stuttered?" Elle sat down in a chair.

 **"Stutter: five percent of children from two to five will stutter…stuttering is more common in boys…More than 70 million people worldwide stutter…"**

"In the US there are more than three million people who stutter." I looked through pictures of girls, "more than 70 million people worldwide stutter."

"I know that embarrassment makes a stutter worse." Elle added.

"Obviously someone's been doing there homework." Morgan replied.

"I still have no idea what causes a stutter." Elle opened the door, "Karen number eight." A brunette with dark skin walked in.

###

"How'd the interviews go?" Reid asked handing me a cup of coffee.

"They went no where. Thanks." I held the warm cup in my hands.

"Hey, Reid, Tessa. Garcia said it's no Karen." Morgan hung up the phone, "it's-"

"Charown." Gideon Burt through the door and came directly to Reid and I.

"Charown?" Reid asked.

"Charown." Gideon nodded, "I do it because of Charown."

"That's Hebrew." Reid answered.

"Or Greek."

"It's God's burning anger." Gideon replied.

"Yeah." Reid and I nodded.

"The motive is now religious?" Elle asked walking into the room. Gideon turned towards the whit4e board in the room and began to erase what was on it.

"Well, you know, in a lot of religions, god is related to fire." Reid explained.

"In Greek, Charown is the ferryman who works or Hades. He was known to be the Greeis God of Fire." I stood up, "the Jews see god as a pillar of fire."

"Brahman is fire in Hinduism." Hotch inputted, "and the Christian's worship God as a consuming fire."

"Solem and Gamora…" I whispered.

"Okay, so we're looking for a theology major." Morgan announced, "maybe he's punishing the other students for their sino."

"I don't want this…" Reid set down a salad Elle threw at him.

"What-what's the most sinful place on campus?" Elle asked looked at us.

"Oh, come on Elle. When I was in school that was everywhere." Morgan pointed out. Gideon was writing things down rapidly.

"A fatermilty?" Hotch guessed.

"A campus bar?"

"No." Hotch shook his head, "that's not consistent with the previous targets." Hotch shook his head.

"What about the idea of baptism by fire?" Morgan asked, "aren't we all supposed to be tested through fire in revelations?"

"Look, its good, its good, but please let's not jump to conclusions." Gideon turned to us waving his hand through the air, "religion might be a part of it, but it's not necessarily a prime compulsion."

"Gideon, jump to conclusions. Rush to conclusions." Morgan shot back.

"We are running out of time!" Elle exclaimed. Reid turned away mumbling something.

###

"Still thinking?" I asked as I walked into the now dark room, the only light was coming from Reid's computer.

"No…" He sighed.

"Here." I set a coffee down beside him before pulling up a chair of my own.

"Thanks." He nodded and pressed play on the video. He stopped and then rewinded it.

"What is is?" I asked watching the video rewind.

"I don't know…" Spencer hummed, again he watched it. I sat in a chair began to push myself to spin. Spencer got up and erased the writing on the whiteboard, "outside the box…" He muttered. The door opened and Gideon stuck his head in.

"Keep thinkin'. It's like chess, don't look at just the next more, try to look three moves ahead." With that he shut the door and left.

"Tessa," Reid turned around, "play the video again." I stopped spinning and moved in front of the computer pressing play. We both watched the video carefully.

"Wait." He said presting the pause button, he then backed it up again and enlarged the screen around the doorknob, "look"

I looked at the screen as the video played, the doorknob turned three times.

"He's not trying to get in." I breathed out.

"It turns three times." Reid stood up, "come on." He turned towards the door. Quickly I got up and followed.

"It's compulsion." Reid stated as we walked through the hall.

"Compulsion of threes?"

"Look." Reid and I rounded a corner to see the office that had caught on fire the day before. Carefully Reid whipped the shoot away from the room sign.

"Room three." I nodded, "we need to go check Matthew Rowland's room."

After looking through Matthew's things we found that he had Professor Wallace's class third period, on Tuesday, at three.

"We know why the profiles never fit." Reid announced walking back into the room where the team was.

"You were right to tell Morgan not to rely on precedent." He continued, "the fires thus far have been completely task oriented."

"So once they're set the unsub is done?" Hotch asked.

"Exactly." Reid nodded.

"The unsub is a not a normal serial arsonist." I picked up, "he's someone who used fire because of a completely different disorder."

"Which is?" Gideon looked at me.

"A case of extreme OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder. Think about, he's done everything in threes…and if we're right," I glanced at Reid, "he'll have to kill again."

"There's a form of OCD called scrupulosity." Reid explained sitting in front of the computer.

"Religious obsession and compulsion." Hotch nodded.

"It's an obsessive fear of committing sin, which creates so much anxiety that he's compelled to do something to ease that anxiety." I moved my hands on slightly as I talked.

"Like setting fires." Hotch noted.

"Where's the behavioral evidence?" Gideon asked rubbing his temple.

"Right here." Reid pressed the button on the computer, playing the video, "Remember the night of the three fires? We saw the doorknob turn against the lock. But he's not trying to get in, he's compelled to turn the doorknob three times."

"Well what about the fires?" Gideon asked, "the first ones were single fires. If the unsub was OCD shouldn't they have all been in threes?"

"They were in there's. A-a trinity of threes." I replied.

"The first fire occurred on march third." Reid continued, "three pm, third day, third month. It's that convergence of threes heat causes the overwhelming anxiety."

"Obsessive compulsive sees the anxiety by performing the compulsion."

"What about the other fires?" Hotch looked at the two of us, "Professor Wallace?"

"Office number three." Reid answered, "we checked for more patterns of threes. His class was on Tuesdays."

"Third day of the week." Hotch nodded.

"Matthew Rowland was in that class, it was his third class of the day." I added, "if we looked into the fires, we would find more patterns having to do with threes because our minds are incredibly adept at finding patterns. But to the unsub these patterns are a way to release his anxiety. He can't stop."

"But if the target was always people, why did no one die in the first few fires?" Gideon asked his eyes closed. Hotch got up and began to pace.

"They were failures." Reid answered, "up until Matthew Rowland." There was a pause and silence engulfed the room. Slowly Gideon looked at Hotch.

"What is it?"

"I think I know who it might be." Hotch replied, his face grim, "and it's not a he, it's a she."

"Who?" Gideon asked sitting up straighter.

"Her first name is Clara." Hotch shook his head slowly, "we met her in the science room."

Gideon got on the phone immediately.

"When I was talking to her and her classmates, I noticed something." Hotch continued once Gideon was off the phone, "-a ring on her finger, and she kept turning it."

"At intervals?" Reid asked.

"Of three." Hotch nodded, "and she counted off the ingredients of a light bulb bomb. She kept repeating the word sugar, once she started she couldn't stop."

"It's palilalia. The involuntary repetition of words." I explained, "Howard Hughes had it when his OCD worsened."

"Clara and her classmates were working on a project about gravitational pull." Hotch turned towards Gideon.

"The three body problem." Gideon spoke gravely, he sat in silence for a moment before he spoke again, "Tessa, go down to the science lab."

"What?" Reid and I asked at the same time.

"Campus security is gonna scare her, might make her light the fire faster. We will send them around other buildings, looking for her, pulling fire alarms." Gideon stood up, "you don't carry a gun, they know you, they'll probably think you want to ask them more questions about science or something." Gideon moved his hand through the air, "if you see her, call me or Hotch, then pull the fire alarm. Do not engage alright?"

"Okay." I swallowed nodding slowly.

"Be careful." Reid said as I got up. I nodded and smiled smelly at him before leaving. The campus was dark, and security was running around. Quickly I made my way to the science building and down the stairs. I got to the bottom floor and heard footsteps. I paused before two kids came around the corner, it was the boy whom I had met earlier with another science kid, a girl. Clara wasn't with them.

"Dr. White?" The boy asked hanging up his phone.

"Um, hi." I waved slightly at the two.

"What are you doing here?" He asked walking closer.

"Do you know where Clara is?" I asked glancing around.

"No." The boy shook his head, "hey, I have a few questions about science stuff that my teachers couldn't answer, would you mind?"

"Uh-no." I shook my head.

"Great!" The boy grinned, he grabbed my arm and began to pull me towards an elevator. I cleared my throat and tried to talk again, but he began to ask me questions about the three body problem, and physics. He plugged the key into the elevator and it started to move. Suddenly it stopped, the lights turned amber and an alarm went off.

"What was that?" The girl in the elevator asked.

"It's probably stuck." The boy sighed. My eyes looked over at the floor count of the elevator. It stopped on the third floor. Quickly I took out my phone and put it to my ear.

"Hello?" Reid's voice sounded on the other end.

"Spencer?" I asked.

"T-Tessa?" Reid's voice came through raspy.

"Spencer, I'm in the elevator. Science building." I explained quickly as the fire alarm went off.

"Tessa-Tessa. I can't-." The call cut out.

"Crap…" I mumbled shutting my phone.

"What's happening?" The boy asked. Looking up I found the two looking at me fear covered their faces.

"I-I, um." I cleared my throat looking at the two, "we just need to stay calm. There may be a chance that the person setting the fires in this building. People are out looking for him."

"WHAT?!" The girl exclaimed.

"Look, we need to stay calm-."

"People know you're here right?" The boy asked. I nodded, "yes, they do."

"Okay," he nodded, "then someone will come help us." He looked at the girl.

"We should pury open the doors." The girl said.

"You can't pry them open all the way. It's a safety precaution." The boy replied.

"Well, we can try yelling for help." The girl countered.

"Okay, okay." The boy moved in front of the doors and began to try and pry the doors open. He groaned as the doors came apart slowly,

"That's as far as they'll go." The boy moved back breathing heavily.

"What?!" The girl exclaimed in fear.

"I told you it's a built in safety precaution." He replied. They both started calling for help.

"Are you sure someone knows you're here?" The girl turned around looking at me with wide eyes.

"Yeah." I nodded, "they know." Suddenly the outside doors opened.

"Clara!" The boy exclaimed at the person who just opened the other doors. My blood ran cold, and a pit formed in my stomach as I realized, how many people were in the elevator. Three.

"Clara, Clara, go get help!" The boy commanded, "go back to the office and get the elevator key!"

"It's okay," Clara replied, "I'm here to save you." She turned to the right and moved out of sight.

"CLARA WAIT!" The two called to her.

"Hey, hey." I grabbed the boy pulling him closer, "we need to get out of here." I whispered.

"I know. CLara can get help." He replied.

"No, no." I shook my head, "we need to get her away from us."

"…Why?" He asked concerned. Before I could answer Clara came back and set thred bottles of liquid in front of the small opening of elevator.

"The father. The son. The Holy Ghost." She stated softly.

"Clara," I cleared my throat and stepped closer, "Clara, go get Hotch. Please? He's one of the agents you met earlier." Without warning she picked up one of the bottle and squirted the contents in the elevator covering us. The two students shriek backing up against the fall. I covered my eyes getting soaked.

"It's gasoline!" The boy yelled.

"Stop! Stop!"

"CLARA STOP!" I yelled. After she emptied the bottles and moved backwards a little. My heart sped up as she lit a candle .

"Clara put it down!" The boy yelled.

"Clara don't do it." I tried to reason with her, but she wasn't listening, instead she was mumbling to herself.

"What do we do?" The girl exclaimed. My mind raced on tactics…

 **"She can't be reasoned with…OCD can't be reasoned."**

"I don't know." I whispered to myself not taking my eyes off of Clara. She was still mumbling to herself when suddenly I heard familiar voice in the room.

"Hotch!" I exclaimed breathing out. I listened to him talk to Clara.

"Help us!" The others yelled.

"I have to do this…" Clara insisted.

"No you don't Clara." Hotch countered, "you were trying to tell me."

"God chose me to be tested. Now he's chosen them! If don't do this something terrible will happen…"

"What will happen Clara? An earthquake? A flood?" Hotch asked.

"I know. I know. I know." Clara hissed shaking her head.

"Then resist." Hotch's voice remained calm.

"I can't!"

"Clara, please. You can resist, you can." I repeated trying to keep my voice even.

"They must be tested." Clara squeezed her eyes shut, "God's wrath!"

"Clara you told me it was a chemistry student. You left the voicemail." Hotch continued to talk.

"Hotch…" My voice shook as Clara to rock back and forth. Clara began to rock back and forth more rapid, in one swift motion she raised the candle above her head. The girl let out a terrified shriek as a gunshot rang out. Clara screamed in pain falling to the side. The candle continued to roll towards the opening. Without thinking I reached out and grabbed the end of the candle stopping it.

"Hotch…" My voice went hoarse. Suddenly Gideon appeared.

"Tessa?" He asked softly, I looked up at him.

"It's okay." He snuffed out the candle. I let out a heavy breath.

"Let's get them out of there." Hotch said firmly.

###

"You sure you're okay?" Gideon asked for the seventh time as we walked back into the office we had set up in.

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Tessa." Reid breathed out in what sounded like relief before engulfing me in a hug.

"Reid." I slowly hugged him back, chuckling softly, "I'm covered in gasoline."

"You okay?" He pulled away slowly. I nodded, "yeah, thanks."

"Come on, your other clothes are clean." Elle said coming over. Before I pulled away I felt Spencer's hand linger on my arm for a moment longer.

Why'd you grab it?" Elle asked from the other room.

"Grab what?" I stepped out of the bathroom cleaned and newly dressed.

"The candle."

"Well, I-I wasn't really thinking. It was more like, uh-a reaction." I stuffed my other clothes into a bag, "are we ready to leave?"

"Yeah, everything's packed up." Elle nodded and got up to leave, she stopped and turned to face me., "are you and Reid really just friends?"

"Why are you hung up on this?" I laughed slightly uneasy.

"It just seems like you two could be more. You'd be a cute couple." She explained before walking out of the room. The team finished packing up and we found ourselves on the plane home around eleven. Hotch and Morgan were sleeping while Elle was watching something on her computer while I read a book on the civil war. I glanced over at Spencer and Gideon who were playing chess. Elle's words appeared in my head again.

 **"Friends**

 **More than friends…"**

I looked back to my book quickly afraid of staring to long, thought engulfed my head.

 **"Friends: a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection**

 **True friend:when someone knows you better than yourself and takes a position in your best interests in a crisis. Friendship goes beyond just sharing time together, and it is long lasting**

 **Love: an intense feeling of deep affection.**

 **Greek love…Eros: a passionate physical and emotional love…Storge: an affectionate love that slowly develops from friendship…"**

I glanced at Reid again and my heart fluttered.

 **"Perhaps we could be more than friends."**

 **So theres chapter 2! Feel free to leave a review, love to know what you guys think, thanks for readying!:)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated for a while, but I've got two chapter for you guys now! So this chapter picks up where chapter 2 left off, hope you all enjoy! (Short Chapter, sorry)**

Gideon and Reid were playing chess on the plane.

"Checkmate in three." Gideon claimed moving his piece.

"What?" Reid looked back over at Gideon. Gideon looked over at where Reid had been gazing and saw Tessa asleep with a book in her lap. He chuckled lightly before returning his attention back to the board, "let's reset the pieces." Again the two began to play.

"Do you know out of all the people we chase, they all have one missing component." Gideon began.

"Humanity?" Reid asked.

"That's a part of it, but a small part, the more important part is one very important thing."

"What's that?"

"Love." Gideon smiled softly, "love is the very thing that makes us human, and if we are ever fortunate enough to find it? We should never let it go." Reid nodded slowly thinking about Gideon's words, slowly his head turned back to Tessa and his heart fluttered.

###

My eyes opened and I sat up slowly as the plane was preparing to land.

"Alright everyone, go home and get some sleep." Hotch said before enticing the plan, "good work everyone."

Everyone had gotten their packs and were heading to their separate cars.

"Tessa, hey."

I stopped as Reid walked over.

"Hey Spence." I smiled.

"Are you uh, are you tired?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Not really, why?"

"Come on, I've got a surprise." He smiled before grabbing my hand and leading me towards his car.

"Where are we going?" I asked confused. Reid grabbed my bag and out into the bag.

"It's a surprise. You'll like it, I promise." He replied before climbing into the driver's seat.

"Okay." I nodded laughing lightly before climbing into the passenger seats. He began to drive, the city was quiet. We talked throughout the car ride about obscure topics that simply popped into our heads.

"Spence…where are we?" Looking around as he parked the car I found we were at a forest park.

"You'll see, come on we gotta go up to the top." He smiled before getting out of the car. Slowly we began to walk up the path that lead us to the top of the hill..

"Okay." Reid stopped near the top, "close your eyes."

"Okay…" I shut my eyes. I felt his hand take mine and we continued to walk up the hill. I felt the ground even out.

"You can open your eye now." He spoke gently. Slowly I opened my eyes and gasped at the scene before me, "woah."

"Pretty cool huh?" Reid smiled at me. The sky before us was scattered with white floating lanterns.

"How did you-" I stared the sight before me.

"It's a tradition for the campsite below us. We got back in time, I guessed you might like it." He answered.

"Yeah." I smiled. I felt his hand tighten around mine, I glanced at him to find him staring back at me.

"Amaranthine." Reid spoke softly.

"Undying…immortal…-" I was cut off by Spencer softly setting his lips on mine. He pulled away after a moment, "sorry." He mumbled softly.

"Don't be." I shook my head before slowly leaning forward to kiss him back. I let him smile against the kiss before pulling away and pulled me closer.

"I swear to love you all my life." He whispered.

 **Thanks for reading! Please don't be afraid to leave a review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey my lovely readers! So I decied to skip episode "Won't get fooled again" sorry, Reid wasn't in there a lot, and I couldn't ind good places to fit Tessa it, but I'm picking up with "Plain Sight" So thanks for reading! Enjoy!**

"They have a cake." I commented as Reid and I watched discreetly from outside the glass doors.

"They also have a hat…" He mumbled, "I don't want to wear the hat."

"You might not have too? It's your birthday."

"I'll have too…" He sighed.

"It might not be that bad." I mused. Reid shrugged and sighed before gently grabbing my hand and walking into the office.

"Would you look at that." Morgan laughed as we entered hand in hand, "Genius boy finally got his pretty girl."

"What?" Reid asked laughing, I could tell by his voice he was a bit nervous. I felt myself blush.

"Well it certainly took you two long enough." Morgan added while putting candles on the cake, "happy birthday Reid."

"Thanks." He nodded.

"Well come on, blow out the candles." JJ waved him over, we began to walk over but not before Morgan could place a birthday hat on Reid's head.

"Week go on Genius, blow the candles out." Morgan clapped him on the back. Reid began to blow on the candles but they didn't go out. I glanced at Morgan as he held in laughter., again Reid tried to blow out the candles.

"Come on baby blow! Blow!" Morgan laughed.

"In think they're-" I was cut off by Morgan gently covering my mouth. He looked at me and shook his head with a silly grin on his face.

"Come on Reid, I thought you were full of hot air!" Elle egged him on. He kept trying to blow out the candles, finally I maneuvered out of Morgan's grasp.

"They're trick candles Spence, they're just gonna come back on." JJ told him.

"Aw, mommy to the rescue." Morgan teased.

"Mommy?" Reid asked confused.

"Ignore him." JJ threw a glare at Morgan, "hope you like chocolate." Glancing around I saw Gideon watching us and smiling, slowly I walked over to him.

"I knew you two would always end up together." He commented as I stood next to him.

"Did uh, everyone think that, and Spencer and I were just didn't?" I asked. Gideon shrugged, "probably," I laughed lightly as Reid came over.

"Having fun?" Gideon asked.

"Yes, definitely. I'm definitely having fun." He replied unconvincingly.

"Make a wish?"

"Can I take this hat off?" Reid glanced up.

"I wouldn't." Gideon shook his head.

"Spence, Tessa, birthday cake." JJ held up two pieces on a plate.

"Happy birthday." Elle said as we all sat around Reid's desk.

"Thank you." Reid nodded.

"Sorry guys." Hotch walked over grim-faced, "parties over."

"We're going to San Diego." Hotch told us, as we were now all seated in the round table room.

"Not for the surfing huh?" Morgan asked.

"They're calling him the Tommy Killer." JJ set down files in front of all of us.

"Six women raped and murdered in their homes in the last three weeks." Hotch continued.

"Six in three weeks?" Elle asked.

"That's a short use." Gideon commented.

"And getting shorter. The first two were eight days apart, then the next four in two weeks." Hotch informed us.

"Rapid escalation. Do you think he's regressing to a psychopathic frenzy?" Reid asked.

"No, he's two controlled for that…" Hotch replied before getting up, "see you on the plane."

"Why the Tommy Killer?" Morgan called. Hotch turned back.

"You know the rock opera? Well this unsub glues the victim's eyes wide open."

"He wants them to see him.." I commented looking through the pictures.

"And feel him." Gideon finished before getting up, "we need to get there as soon as possible."

The team departed to gather their belonging and to meet back up on the plane.

"Do you always keep a bag of your things under your desk?" Elle asked as I put my bag on my shoulder.

"Yeah…?" I said slightly confused.

"Well, I mean it's efficient." She nodded, "see you on the plane."

"Ready?" Reid asked walking over his pack over his shoulder.

"Yeah." I nodded, he extended his hand slowly, taking it we walked to the plane.

"Brenda Sams was found yesterday by her children when they got home from school." Hotch read aloud once we were all seated on the plane, "she had been strangled with a thin ligature, possibly a wire."

"No weapon left at the scene?" Elle asked, Hitch shook his head.

"Reside on the wrist and mouth indicate that duct tape was used and then removed." Reid held up a picture.

"Also not found at the scene." Hotch stated.

"Brought it with him, took it with him." Elle nodded.

"He also started leaving messages at the fourth crime scene. The was on the mirrors," he held up a picture before he began to read aloud, "Fair Lady, throne those costly robes aside. No longer may you glory in your pride. Take leave of all your carnal, vain delight." I stopped what I was doing recognizing the poem.

"I've come to summon you away this night." I finished for him, looking around I found everyone looking at me, "it's a, uh, ballad from the late 1600s. A dialogue betwixt death and a lady."

"A century old ballad?" Elle asked skeptically. I nodded.

"Essentially, a women begging death to live." Reid spoke up.

"What kind of person knows this balled? Are we looking for a literature professor?" Elle looked between Gideon and Hotch.

"Anyone with an internet connection, actually." Reid picked up, "you should see what comes un with you type "death" into a search engine." He laughed lightly.

"Do these two just keep getting weirder?" Morgan looked at the others, I looked back at my paper.

"Reid, Tessa you two stay on the ballads see if there's a deeper meaning." Gideon announced.

"Well, it definitely looks like he ransacked the crime scene pretty well." Morgan picked up a picture off the table.

"A lot of damage, nothing taken." Hotch replied.

"The eyed are the thing, the signature." Gideon spoke, "the behavior that isn't necessary for the murder, but necessary for the emotional release. That's what he's there for."

"There used to be a wide know belief that the eyes record a snapshot of the last thing a person sees before they die." Reid added.

"That's right, people used to write poems about talking to death." Morgan noted.

"Ballads." Reid and I said in unison.

Morgan sighed raising his hands, "whatever." I nodded slowly.

"You think they'll ever run out of new things to do with their victims?" Elle asked hints of annoyance on her voice.

""Well, finding new ways to hurt each other are what we're good at." Gideon answered grimly.

Soon the plane landed and we arrived at the San Diego Police Department. Immediately Reid and I found where they had put the ballads.

 **"Do you not know me? I will tell you then: I am he that conquers all the sons of men, No pitch of honor from my dart is free. My name is death! Have you not heard of me?"**

"My name is death. Have you not heard of me…" Reid mumbled to himself.

"Creepy huh." JJ came over.

"A-actually, conversation between death and his victims was a fairly popular literary and artistic theme throughout the renaissance." Reid explained. JJ looked at him oddly.

"Yeah, creepy." He laughed uncomfortably. JJ nodded before leaving.

"Hey Reid…?" I asked looking over the ballads.

"Hm?" He looked over at me.

"This is only one part of the ballad." I replied, "the lady never answers."

"Let's go tell Hotch." Reid replied before we joined Hotch who was talking with Elle.

"Looks like what he's written at the scenes are most of the first three verses of the ballads." Reid told them.

"Most?" Hotch asked.

"It's only one part of the conversation." I explained, "there's no betwixt." I cleared my throat, as Hotch and Elle looked at us in silence not understanding.

"Uh, death speaks but the lady never answered." I explained further rolling my thumb over my fingernails.

"Maybe he feels like there bodies are answer enough." Elle commented. Hotch nodded slowly, "Tessa, and Reid keep on the ballads, Elle, we need to know what kind of rapist he is." Elle nodded, while Reid and I went back to the ballads. Gideon and Morgan went to the recent crime scene with one of the officers.

Reid and I were sitting at a desk looking over the ballads, and the other parts that were missing from it.

"There was another attempt about six miles from here." Hotch announced coming over, "Elle and I are heading over there now."

"Attempt?" I asked.

"The husband interrupted and the attacker got away." Hotch replied walking away, I returned to the papers. After a while of going through papers Reid handed one to me.

"Look, it's the original ballad."

Sanding them over I found that the verses that the unsub were identical from that of the text, he's following them precisely." Reid nodded as I handed the paper back.

"This ballad is ten verses long…" Rend murmured.

"Just on death side." I nodded then a thought hit me, "if he has so much to work with why didn't he leave verses at the first murders." Reid looked up at me thinking.

"Gideon's back." Reid noted before getting up and walking over.

"Gideon." He caught his attention, "the verses."

"Find anything?" Gideon took the paper and looked between the two of us.

"Uh, not an answer, a question. I found the full text. He's pretty much following it to a T." He answered, "at-at least the death side of the conversation."

"But?"

"Why didn't he leave them at the first three murders?" Reid asked.

"The ah, ballad is ten verses long, just on death's side so why start now?" I joined in, "he's got plenty to work with."

"But if it's not part of his signature, if it isn't something he has to do it for an emotional reason, then why start?" Reid asked. Gideon's face went blank for a moment as he thought, suddenly his lip moved into a half curbed smile.

"JJ, find out when the press ran the first story on this unsub." He said.

"When?" She asked.

"After which victim." Gideon replied.

"Yeah you got it." JJ picked up a phone.

"What you thinking?" Morgan asked.

"He wasn't getting enough attention." Gideon said his tone obvious.

"The police department sometimes don't even realize they're looking at a pattern." I noted glancing at the others

"Yeah, not until somebody tells them." Morgan replied.

"The first story ran the morning after the fourth victim was found." JJ said from her desk.

"The increased patrols didn't begin until after the fourth victim, either." Morgan said looking through a file.

"Yeah." Gideon nodded, "yeah the police didn't realize what was happening, he writes his verse-"

"And everyone knows he was there." Reid finished. Hotch and Elle walked over to us, coming back from the other attack.

"The offender in this new attempt is a black male." Hotch announced.

"Black male? That's cross racial. That doesn't happen." Morgan replied.

"Herbert Mullin." Reid and I spoke at the same time.

"He killed 14 different people of completely varying ages, races, and creeds." Reid explained.

"But there was no sexual component to his crimes." Elle shook her head, "and this new attacker wore a ski mask."

"Tell 'em we're ready." Gideon said staring at the far side of the room.

"For our profile?" Morgan asked. Reid and I glanced at each other.

"We're gonna make Tommy contact us." He answered before walking away. All of the police gathered in one room to hear our profile.

"The unsub brought the weapons with him," Gideon began, "tape, glue, wire. He did not leave them at the scene. He took them when he left. He has a kind of killing kit that he carries."

"Organized killers usually have a skilled job, likely technology related." Hotch picked up, "which may involve the use of his hands. The crime scenes are far enough apart that he needs a vehicle. This will be well kept, obsessively clean, as will be his home. He's diurnal, the attacks occurred during the day so the vehicle may be related to his work, possibly a company car or truck."

"We believe he watches the victims for a time, learns the rhythms of the home, knows his time frame." Morgan jumped in. Reid and I listened standing near a wall.

"You're not gonna catch him accidentally."

"He destroys symbols of wealth in the victims homes." Gideon turned towards the board, "he harbors envy of and hatred toward people of a higher social class. He feels invisible around them."

"Class is the theme of the poem which he left at the various crime scenes." Reid spoke up.

"A-at one point in the poem, the women attempts to bide death." I continued, "but he doesn't accept it. He says this is the one moment when riches mean nothing."

"When death comes, the poor and the rich are exactly alike." Reid finished.

"So he's poor?" One of the policemen asked.

"Probably middle class." Hotch answered, "a decidedly lower-class person would stick out in a highly patrolled neighborhood. This guy appears to belong there he blends in."

"Why does he glue the eyes open?" Another cop asked.

"The unsub, is an exploitative rapist." Elle stood by Hotch, "most rape victims close their eyes during the attack, turn their heads. For some rapist this destroyed the fantasy. For this type of rapist, the goal is more related to the victim watching than the act itself."

"The verses, the staging, the aggressive language, "I am death," this guy who, while being in control of the crime scene almost certainly feels inadequate in the rest of his life." Hotch said.

"That why," Gideon stood up, "why he couldn't wait for you to figure out what he'd done. Why he need to make sure all his crimes were counted. His victims, they represent whatever it is that's controlling him and we wants that control back. He is under the thumb of a powerful women who frightens him. And a final point. He is white." Gideon stated firmly.

"We have witnesses that identify him as a black male." The lead detective stated.

"The attacker was black," Gideon nodded, "he is not the Tommy killer."

"Mrs. Gordon's husband came home at the same time that he always does. The Tommy killer would have known that." Hotch added.

"And Mrs. Gordon's attacker wore a ski mask." Elle joined, "the unsub knows when he walks into a house he's going to kill the woman who lives there. You're not leaving any witnesses, why wear a ski mask?"

"And he wants the victim to see him anyway." Morgan spoke up, "your attempted rapist is a garden variety disorganized young man."

"As the victim's age goes up, generally the attackers age goes down. Mrs. Gordon is about 60, which puts her rapist at about 20."

"And it takes years to develop the level of calm and sophistication that Tommy displays at a crime scene." Gideon inputted, "and the rapist it far too young for that."

"Mrs. Gordon told me that there's a young man who delivers groceries to their home. He fits a lot of what we're describing here."

"Great." The lead detective sighed standing up, "so we're back to zero on Tommy."

"Not at all." Hotch changed his tone, "may I see you in your office for a moment?" He looked at the detective before walking away.

"Now if you can all remember this profile and get back to work on finding the attempted rapist, agent Elle will assist you." Gideon announced and Elle went to talk with some policemen.

"JJ." Hotch came out of the office, the detective on his heels, "I need you to get a news crew ready, when they arrest the attempted rapist we need them to walk him right by the cameras, and you need to tell the world that he is the suspect in the Tommy killer crimes, alright?"

"Yeah, on it." JJ nodded, picked up her cell before walking away.

"Morgan, go help Elle with the arrest." Gideon announced, Morgan nodded and was off. Hotch went to talk to the detective again while Gideon went back to the board of all the victims.

"Coffee." I set down a warm cup down on the table before taking a seat next to Reid. I looked up when he didn't answer or touch his coffee, instead he was staring at his phone.

"Spence?" I asked looking at him.

"I got a call from an unknown number…they left a voicemail." He answered before handing me the phone. I clicked a button before putting it to my ear, a man's voice began to talk.

* _phone call*_

 _"Spencer? Hi bud…it's your father. I know you probably confused as to why I'm calling right now…but-uh, I was thinking maybe we should meet up sometime? Get some lunch? Anyway, let me know if your interested."_

Slowly I took the phone from my ear and looked at Spencer. He was just staring at the table.

 **"It didn't sound like William, the voice was tired and ragged…"**

"He didn't sound like himself." Reid finally spoke up.

"What are you gonna do?" I asked gently, he shrugged. Slowly I grabbed his hand, and leaned on the table looking at him. He looked back and me and gave me a small smile. Suddenly the doors busted open, Morgan holding a black man pushing him towards the back of the office. I watched as Elle told Hotch that he confessed to Mrs. Gordon's attack. Reid sat up more and took a sip of his coffee, he was still holding my hand.

"Did they get a good look at him?"

"Yeah, couldn't miss him." JJ nodded.

"Good." Gideon nodded, "everyone make sure you're at a phone, now we wait."

"God, I hate waiting like this." Elle sighed as we sat at a desk

"Do you think it's odd that Spence and I knew that ballad?" I asked playing with a paper clip. Elle laughed lightly, I glanced up at her.

"I don't know how you two know half the things you know, but I'm glad you two do." She replied.

"Thanks." I smiled softly.

"You and Reid are a good couple by the way." My eyes rose to look at her, "took you two long enough." I looked at her leaning back in my chair.

"Was everyone just watching waiting for us to fall in love?" I laughed lightly.

"Oh yeah, Morgan and I had a bet." Elle smiled.

"Of course." I rubbed my eyes still smiling.

"I think you two will be happy."

"I dare say we shall." My eyes glanced over to where Reid was sitting. A phone rang, and suddenly Detective Martin jumped and waved at us frantically. Gideon and Hotch came over quickly.,

"Line six." JJ said holding a phone. Elle pressed the button on the phone and it erupted into noise.

"You stupid, incompetent sons of bitches!" The voice screamed, "I don't make mistakes! I am death! You hear me?! I AM DEATH! You'll see now! Tomorrow, mark my words, you will see! And while I'm takin her I'm gonna be thinking of you." The line went dead.

"Anything?" JJ asked Garcia on the other line, "she says she got nothing."

"Nothing?!" Morgan exclaimed

"We missed him?" Hotch asked. I glanced up at him, he looked shocked. I leaned back in my chair sighing. We missed him.

The next morning we all got ready to go out in groups and cars.

"We have an undercover car for each of your teams." The head Detective told us, "and the entire damn department out there too.

"Remember a truck. Maybe a work truck in excellent condition." Gideon told him.

"Everyone knows." He nodded.

"All right, he might make a mistake today." Hotch announced looking around at all of us, "he's angry and he probably hasn't done the kind of surveillance he'd like."

"Yeah, well neither have we," Morgan replied, "let's go Reid, Tessa." He walked away, and Reid and I followed. Morgan drove our red cover car to where we were suppose to watch. The neighborhood seemed calm and peaceful.

"It's ten thirty already." Morgan sighed tapping the steering wheel.

"All he said was tomorrow." Reid replied, "he didn't…specify morning."

"Reid, this guy's gotta spend a lot if time in that house. A lot, he need it to be morning." Morgan explained. I looked behind me at the road and sidewalk.

"Are you sure this is a good spot?" I asked.

"Three of the victims lived within a block of this street." Morgan answered, "its the main artery through the neighborhood.

"True…" Reid began, "but three victims in the same block could mean he's done with the area."

"Or that he's reallys familiar with it."

"And comfortable in it."

"But then on the other hand, the other victims lived more than a mile in either direction." Morgan let out a breath hitting the steering wheel, "God, I hate not having a plan. We're looking for a needle in a haystack here."

"Actually, it's more like we're looking for a needle in a pile of needles." Reid proposed. I nodded in agreement.

"What?" Morgan looked at the both of us.

"A needle would stand out in a haystack," I spoke.

"Okay," Morgan chuckled, "and we're not looking for someone who stands out?"

"No, we're looking for a particular needle in a pile of needles." I replied. Reid picked up a pair of binoculars and began looking around. After a while of waiting my phone rang.

"Tessa." I answered.

"Tessa, it's Gideon, listen," his voice was serious, "I need you three to go down to the San Diego Bell office, the unsub is a telephone technician who works there. His name is Franklin Graney."

"Okay, got it." I hung up the phone, "Morgan drive."

"What?" He asked confused.

"We need to get to the San Diego phone repair company, the unsub is a guy who works there, named Franklin Graney." I told him as quickly as my lips could move.

"Okay, let's go." Morgan started the car and drove off. Once we parked Morgan jumped out of the car and ran into the building, Reid and I right behind him,

"FBI." Morgan pulled out his badge to show the desk clerk, "I need to know where one of your technicians is."

"FBI?" The man asked his voice shaky.

"Where are your technicians?" Reid asked.

"They're all out-out in the field." The man answered.

"Listen!" Morgan slammed his hand on the counter, "I need Franklin Graney right now."

"Okay, okay." The man hurried away and came back a few moments later with a location scribbled on a notepad, "here." Quickly I took out my phone and called Elle.

"Elle? He's on service calls in the area of Orange and chandler." I replied before hanging up.

"Come on, let's get over there." Morgan ran back out the door. We were driving down the road until we met up with the others.

"We got him." Hotch said running over, "this house, stay here and fan out. Make sure he doesn't escape." He ordered before running into the back yard with Elle. We stayed with Morgan staked out in the front of the house. After a few minutes Hotch came out of the house with Franklin in handcuffs. Next Elle and Gideon came out with the women who looked shaken up but seemed to be unharmed.

The plane ride home was quiet, everyone was doing there own thing, I sat next to Reid as he stared at the chessboard before him. Gideon was playing with him, but he had fallen asleep.

"Spence?" I asked quietly.

"Hm?"

"What are you gonna do about your dad?" I looked over at him. He looked at the chessboard a moment longer before looking over at me, "I don't know…I mean, should I talk to him? I-I don't really know him…W-would you wanna talk to your dad?"

"Yeah." I nodded, "but my situation is different than yours. Your father left, mine…" I took in a deep breath, "mine was taken from me." I glanced at Gideon, "ask Gideon when he wakes up, or Hotch."

Reid nodded but didn't say anything else, I shifted so I could rest my head on his shoulder, memories slowly coming back, flooding my head.

* _FLASHBACK*_

 _"P-please, please don't." The dark haired women begged as she knelt on the floor tears running down her cheeks. The little watched through a crack in the closet door. The man moved his gun over to the husband._

 _"You were wrong." He spat before pulling the trigger. The women screamed as her husband dropped to the floor. The little girl cried silently, and closed her eyes before hearing another gunshot._

 **So there you guys go! Hope you liked it, and I hope you liked the ending bit, a but more insight on Tessa's past, I'll be updating more frequently. Since it's now summer, and I have more time on my hands!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey Guys! Sorry this took so long to get out:/ Life is kinda crazy right now, but here you guys go, enjoy!**

My body jerked awake as my snapped open.

"Tessa?"

Looking over I saw Spencer, a book on his lap.

"Are you alright?" He asked looking concerned.

"Yeah." I nodded clearing my throat, "it was uh, just a dream." Spencer look at me for a moment longer before speaking.

"I'm going to talk to Hotch." He announced before getting up and walking over to where Hotch was now reading.

"Hotch?" Spencer asked quietly. Hotch looked up at the young genius.

"Reid?"

"Can-can I talk to you?" Spencer asked.

"Sure." Hotch nodded and Reid sat down in a chair opposite of Hotch. Reid cleared his throat before beginning.

"I-I got a phone call yesterday from someone…"

"Did you know the caller?" asked Hotch as he thought about how the BAU gains enemies, "because if you're in trouble I need to know, Spencer."

"It's…someone I haven't heard from since I was 10." said Spencer slowly.

At that moment the caller clicked in Hotch's mind.

"Your father." said Hotch.

"He left a voicemail, and I want you to listen to it." said Spencer as he passed Hotch his phone.

Hotch put the phone to is ear and began to listen. When it was done he put down the phone and looked at Spencer.

"Are you thinking about meeting with him?" asked Hotch.

"I really don't know…Tessa wishes that she could have one more day with her father but…mine, he left me by choice." said Spencer quietly.

At that moment Hotch glanced at Morgan, JJ, and Elle and noticed that they were fast asleep.

"Why not have him come to Virginia, and the reunion could happen in my office with me present because I want to say a few choice words to him since I believe with what he did to you and your mom he should have lost his license to practice law since leaving you with a paranoid schizophrenic is considered child abuse." said Hotch quietly. Spencer nodded taking his phone back.

"Thanks Hotch." Spencer smiled slightly.

"What'd he say?" I asked as Spencer sat back down.

"Hotch said I could have him come to the BAU."

"Is that what you want?" I looked over at him. He shrugged, "what do you think?"

"It's your call Spencer." I grabbed his hand gently, he looked at me before nodding.

"Do you think this is a good idea?" I glanced over at Hotch as we waited in his office. Spencer was getting coffee.

"It was William who called Reid, maybe he does really want to reconnect with him." Hotch replied. I glanced over at him.

"You know I was there the day he left." I replied, "watched him get into the car from my house…He didn't look back." I shook my head.

"Yes well, I certainly don't like him." Hotch sighed.

"You've never met him." I glanced at Hotch.

"He left Spencer when he was a child, a child on verge of developing slight schizophrenia, that's child abuse." He explained. Again I nodded slowly, the door opened and Spencer walked in.

"I think he's here." Spencer said walking further into the room. Hotch went over to the window and peered out.

"I'll get him." Hotch said before leaving the room. I looked over at Reid as he turned his coffee cup in his hands.

"Are you okay?" I sat in a chair next to where he stood. All he did was shrug. The door opened and Hotch entered followed by William Reid. I swallowed as he entered. His eyes looked at Spencer, then with over to me..

"It's nice to see you two again." He nodded before smiling at Spencer, "hi Spence." Spencer nodded slightly. Silence took over. William cleared his throat.

"I'm glad you agreed to meet." William said, "I see you're still an FBI agent." I could sense disapprovement in his voice.

"Did you just come here to judge my career choice?" Spencer asked.

"No." William shook his head, "I came to check up on you."

"After disappearing for thirteen years?" Hotch asked harshly.

"I am not proud of what I did…" William began.

"Then why did you leave?" Spence asked.

"Could we uh, talk alone?" William glanced at Hotch then at me.

"No." I shook my head. William sighed looking down at his feet before looking up again straightening his back, "I'm sorry. I am sorry for leaving." Spencer looked up at him.

"No you're not." He spoke softly, "you're sorry for the guilt you feel. You don't want to feel that anymore, so that is why you're apologizing."

"Spencer." William let out a breath staring at him,, "I am trying to apologize."

"You can't make up for thirteen years of being absent." I hissed.

"Tessa." William turned to look at me, "you don't understand."

"What?" I laughed, "after you left Spencer came over to my house in tears William. I understand the effect of what you did better than most."

"I think this was a bad idea." Spencer said.

"No, Spencer-" William began before Spencer cut him off.

"I don't want to talk to you." Spencer stated strongly. William sighed rubbing his chin.

"Is this because of her?" William pointed at me.

"What?" Spencer and I said at the same time.

"William I think you hold leave." Hotch said firmly but William didn't listen.

"Why-why would this be Tessa's fault?" Spencer asked, I could hear the anger tinging his voice.

"Clearly she has turned you against me." William spat.

"Excuse me?" I stood up staring at William.

"William, I think you need to leave." Hotch told him again, but he didn't listen.

"You're the one who left William." I spoke, "Spencer was ten."

"Well clearly you have made him grow to hate me.'

"How?" I laughed, "I have never told him to hate you."

"You had no father, so you didn't want Spencer to have one either."

"How dare you!" I snapped, as faint memories of my father came flooding back, "if this is the kind of person you are then Spencer was lucky that you left!"

"And you're better?" William took a step closer, "seeing you now, I don't think you're a good person for Spencer!"

"That's ridiculous." Spencer stepped up and grabbed my hand.

"You're gonna defend her?" William looked shocked.

"Of course I am." Spencer said in an obvious tone, "she knows me better than you ever have, or will for that matter."

"Spencer-," William began again.

"No." Spencer shook his head, "you can't talk to Tessa like that!" I looked at him as his tone grew angrier, "she was there for me when you weren't."

"Spencer, please." William stepped closer, but Hotch grabbed his arm.

"It's time to go." Hotch commanded before pulling. William out of the room. Once the door shut I let out a deep breath closing my eyes.

"Sorry Spence." My voice shook.

"You didn't do anything wrong." Spencer wrapped his arm around my shoulder, "he shouldn't have treated you like that."

William pulled against Hotch's grip as they reached the elevator.

"You can't stop me from seeing my son."

"No." Hotch stepped up to William, "but I can have you arrested on the grounds of child neglect. Since Spencer might develop schizophrenia I could even try you with child abuse. Your license as a lawyer would be gone. So I suggest you get into the elevator, and leave Spencer, and Tessa alone."

William stared at Hotch for a moment before getting into the elevator.

"Everything okay?" Gideon asked as Hotch turned to walk back through the glass doors.

"Hopefully." Hotch replied.

"I hope your right." Gideon handed Htch a file, "call just came in, we have a case." Hotch took the file and flipped through it.

"Let's get the team ready." He announced.

"Tessa and Spencer up to this?" Gideon questioned.

"They're gonna have to be." Hotch sighed before the two walked through the glass doors.

"Tessa? Reid?" I looked up as Hotch opened the door, "we have a case."

"Okay." I nodded before standing. Spencer and I made our way to the briefing room as Elle was handing out files.

"This is a case of kidnapping of Trush Davenport." Hotch had documents of the screen, "ransom note"

"You will follow these intrusions carefully. You will do this to ensure the safety of your daughter. You will wait for the call. You will answer the call at 8:00 P.M. You will write down the instructions and follow them to the letter." Reid read the note allowed.

"That gives us less than nine hours to get to Connecticut, work up victimology on Trish Davenport and prepare her father for the ransom drop." Hotch explained.

"How do we know the letters real?" Gideon asked.

"The handwriting is a match for Trish's." Hotch showed examples of Trish's handwriting on the screen, "he dictated it to her, and they found saline on the paper."

"Her tears." I looked at the screen.

"He never says "I"." Morgan noted, "He doesn't say "I will call", he says "you will answer the call." He's distancing himself from the kidnapping. If he said "I", he'd be taking responsibility for it.

"There's also another missing element." Hotch said.

"No mention of the police." Elle picked up, "Ransom notes almost always forbid police involvement."

"So is he expecting for the police to get involved?" Hotch asked.

"Well if he's expecting us, let's not disappoint him." Gideon replied before walking away.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" I asked as Reid grabbed his go bag from his desk.

"Yeah." He nodded and smiled slightly. Once everyone was on the plane Hotch began to talk talk

"Everyone familiar with the father?"

"Evan Davenport." Reid began, "U.S. Attorney, executive assistant southern district. New York, widower.

"Assigned U.S. Marshal three times." I picked up, "in the past ten years due to death threats."

"Is the protective detail still current?" Morgan asked from where he was sitting.

"Around the clock." Hotch began, "but Trish declined protection when she turned 18."

"To bad for the boyfriend." Morgan mumbled looking over a file.

"But why kill him?" Reid asked.

"Well, if I'm gonna kidnap someone, I'm gonna take out whoever with them." Morgan explained, "it says here, shes got a sister." I picked through the files looking at pictures.

"Cheryl." Hotch replied.

"Any problems? Were they close?"

"Yeah." I answered grabbing the picture that was on my lap, "they're identical twins." For the rest of the plane ride everyone was quiet looking over something.

"Hey," I said softly looking at Spencer who seemed lost in thought, "Spence?" He looked up at me.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah." He nodded, "I'm fine." He smiled softly before returning to the papers on the table.

We arrived at the the Davenport residence about an hour later, Mr. Davenport quickly ushered us inside, some FBI agents were already there.

"I have six people on my staff." Davenport began, his voice rushed and uneven, "I have three bodyguards, they've all have polygraphs. Everybody's been vetted." He clasped his hands together.

"And they all have alibis for the night of the kidnapping?" Hotch questioned glancing around.

"All accounted for by the local FBI field office." Davenport nodded, "Cheryl flew in yesterday. I'm making sure that she's not alone even for-" he sucked in a deep breath, "sorry, i just feel like I'm suffocating here."

Spencer and I were looking around the house when Gideon called us over, "Dr. Reid, Dr. White."

"What do the statistics tell us?" He asked.

"That if you follow their instructions and give them the money." Spencer began.

"Your daughter will be returned." I finished.

"Done!" An FBI agent announced, "this house is bug free."

"Alright, bring it in!" Another agent ordered, and began to bring in their equipment. Spencer and I followed and began to help set up. Awhile later we at down with Gideon and Mr. Davenport.

"They're not entirely identical. They're mirror twins." He picked up a book and brought it over, "some of Trish's organs are on the right side we had they should be on the left. The doctors assured us that is wasn't life threatening."

"Situs inversus." Spencer spoke. Gideon passed the book over to us, Spencer held it as we read

"They had self-defense training?"

"Yeah, I insisted on it. The protective detail rankled when they hit puberty, and…I was sure they would refuse protection when they turned 18. Excuse me?" Davenport asked. Reid and I stopped and looked up at him.

"C-can you two actually read that fast?"

"Our conscious minds can process 16 bits of information per second." Spencer began, "our unconscious however can process 11 million." He went back to reading but Davenport still looked confused.

"Yes," I replied, "w-we can actually read this fast."

"If whoever ok her, wants me to blow cases, or suppress evidence or stand down. I…" He looked over at Gideon.

"What makes you think it's someone you prosecuted?" Gideon asked.

"Well, I have money, but I don't have millions, what else could it be?"

"In our experience, Mr. Davenport." Gideon's voice was calm, "every case is different. Dr. White, why don't you show Mr. Davenport the equipment for the call." I nodded and lead Mr. Davenport into the dining room.

"This button answers the call." I pointed to a green button, "and this buttons makes everyone in the room silent. It'll flash red. You can hear his side of the conversation, but he can't hear ours."

"We'll be running the trace through the field office." The head agent said, "but ah, you're in good hands with Agent Gideon and his team."

"Tessa, Reid, Morgan and Elle are in the kitchen, go get 'em." Gideon ordered. Spencer and I nodded before heading to the kitchen, and thus walking into their conversation about twins.

"Actually there may be a physiological basis for it" Spencer announced.

"Don't ask." Morgan mumbled.

"Reversed asymmetry monozygotic eggs split late, between nice to 12 days." He continued.

"The DNA matches right down to the very last stranded code." I added, "and there's sporadic documentation of shared physiological pain."

"And you two believe it?"

"We're just saying it's possible." Reid answered, "We don't know everything, despite the fact that you think we do." I laughed lightly.

"I never said that, when have I ever said that?" Morgan looked around, Hotch now standing next to him.

"Every day since we met you." I smiled.

"This morning at breakfast." Elle said.

"Yesterday when he beat you at cards." Hotch added, "um, we've got one minute."

"Anybody ever heard of sarcasm?" Morgan asked as the group began to disperse.

We walked back in the room where everyone was waiting. Reid and I took seats next to computers to take down important behavior that might lime across from the call. The clock chimed eight as Gideon have Davenport pointers on how to talk.

"He's, late." Davenport rubbed his hands together.

"He'll call." Hotch answered his tone stern but soft, "he wants you on edge." Suddenly the phone rang, Mr. Davenport sat up quickly and began to breath heavier.

"Remember to repeat any important information he gives you to make sure you understand." Gideon gave him a last few pointers before clicking the answer call button.

"This is Evan Davenport." He said.

"Hello Mr. Davenport." The voice sounded.

"Are you the man who has my daughter Patricia?"

"I have your daughter."

"Can I ask you-"

"You may ask me nothing." The voice became forceful. , "this is not an interrogatory. You will listen only to my instructions."

"Okay."

"But I will not give them to you.'

Softly I clicked on the computer: Not interested in Davenport.

"I don't understand." Mr. Davenport voice shook slightly.

"I do not want to talk to you Mr. Davenport." The voice replied.

"Excuse me?"

"I want to talk to her." His voice became softer, "I want to talk to Cheryl." I glanced over at Spencer, who looked confused as well.

"What's he doing?" GIdeon spoke after pressing the mute button.

"What most the offenders we catch try to do." Morgan replied, "establish dominance."

"How long can we keep him on hold?" Elle asked.

"We can't put her on." Hotch shook his head.

"Why not?" Cheryl asked, "I want to help, I'll talk to him." She argued.

"Cheryl doesn't have the authority that Davenport holds." Morgan said, "he shouldn't want to talk to her."

"I think that she should speak to him." Elle voiced her opinion. Reid and I kpet quiet listening.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" The unsub asked, "I want to talk to Cheryl. Put her on phone now." His sounded even and collected.

"No." Gideon said staring at nothing.

"I think she should speak to him. He wants to talk to her." Elle said again, "the more he speaks, the more he reveals."

"She is right Gideon." Morgan sighed.

"He has my sister." Cheryl snapped. Gideon looked at Cheryl then at Davenport.

"No."

"I'm waiting." The unsubs tone grew more impatient.

"Elle." Gideon called her over.

"Okay." Elle cleared her throat. The room feel silent as Gideon pressed the unmute button.

"This is Cheryl." Elle spoke softly, "hello, this is Cheryl."

"I have Patricia by my side. I know her voice, and therefore I know her sister's. Get off the phone. I want Cheryl. I'll give you 60 seconds. If you don't put her on the phone I will hang up and you will never hear from me or Patricia again." He began counting. Quickly pressed the mute button and gestured for Cheryl.

"Prep her."

Again I write on the computer: Only wants to talk with Cheryl…whty? Elle began to prep Cheryl as the unsub counted down.

"3…2…1…" He spoke, as Elle un-muted the call.

"This is Cheryl." She swallowed.

"Hello Cheryl." The unsubs voice sounded lighter and more relaxed, "how are you?"

"I'd be a lot better if I knew my sister…Patricia's okay." Cheryl spoke.

"I can tell you have e lot of empathy Cheryl." The unsub sounded, "you care about others."

 ***In head***

 **Why empathy…Elle talked about it…**

"Yes, I do, and it sounds like you understand."

"You mean that I empathize?"

"Yes."

"I do. Very much. I empathize. I empathize with you Cheryl. I know you want to be with your sister."

"Yes, I want Trisha back." Cheryl read a piece of paper Elle had given her.

"Good. Tell me what you want Cheryl." He cooed, "I'm very interested. Tell me all about yourself. What's your favorite color?" Before Cheryl could answer Elle pressed the mute button.

"Don't answer that. Stay with Trish." She pressed the button again.

"If I tell you, will you let me talk to my sister?" She asked.

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"I like blue…" Cheryl had tears forming in her eyes.

"How ordinary." The unsub mused, "do you like chocolate Cheryl?" Cheryl didn't answer, she glanced around the room looking lost.

"Do…you…like…chocolate?"

"Yes." She breathed out.

"I do as well."

 **He's trying to sound sophisticated…he didn't say I do too. He said I do as well.**

"Please let me talk to my sister." For a moment there was no reply, "all I want to do is hear her voice. Please." Suddenly there was a creaking sound, as if from a door opening, then Trish's tired voice spoke., "Cheryl?"

"Trish!"

"Cher, is that you?" Her voice was soft and worn out

"Trish, it;s me. I'm here, Are you okay?" Cheryl asked urgently, her father closed his eyes breathing deeply.

"Cher. I can't…"

"Where are you? What do you see?"

"I-I… see the moon…" She spoke before the sound of a door shut again.

"Trish! Trish!" Cheryl called out.

"Have 500, 000 ready." The unsub spoke again.

"Let me talk to her!" Cheryl begged.

"The 500, 000 is what I'm owed. The Davenports will wait by the phone. You will receive a call with precise instructions in exactly fifteen minutes." He gave instructions before hanging up. Trish looked at Elle breathing heavily before getting up and leaving the room, Mr. Davenport going after her.

"Were you able to trace it?" Gideon looked to Reid and I.

"No." Reid shook his head, "he's probably using a disposable cell phone."

"They're impossible to trace." I sighed taking my headphones off.

"She said she could see the moon." Elle said.

"She sounded delirious." Gideon shrugged.

"By the sound of her voice, she was sedated." I added.

"Could have been a light." Gideon shook his head.

"If he's keeping her drugged, it might mean he's not very strong." Morgan suggested, "he might have to keep her weak, just so he can dominate her."

"Or he's keeping her quiet." Elle jumped in.

"Has Davenport told us everything about his staff?" Gideon questioned looking to Hotch.

"Uh, yeah. We have detailed reports of all of them." Hotch answered, "but we should probably revisit background on household staff, aides, ad current docket."

"Guys, she was an blindfolded." Morgan said. I knot formed in my stomach.

"No." Gideon confirmed.

"If she's seen his face, as soon as he get that money…" Morgan sighed.

"He'll kill her." Gideon finished. We began to looked over the notes from the conversation.

"He said owed." Gideon spoke looking at papers.

"500,000 dollars." Reid nodded.

"His demands sounded scripted." I said, "like he was evading them to us…but the rest of this conversations wasn't."

"He was his most released talking to Cheryl." Morgan said.

"What does that mean?" Gideon questioned.

"Maybe he already knew her. How much time we got?"

"Six minutes." Spencer answered.

"How quickly can you get the money?" Gideon asked Davenport. He looked at Hotch and Gideon before picking up his cell phone.

"Right now." He walked away talking on the phone. A few minutes later he came back nodding. Like the unsub promised, the phone rang. Slowly Davenport pressed to answer the call.

"Everything will be done by Cheryl." He spoke first, "Cheryl will gather the money packets, only she will touch the money. Cheryl will make the drop. If she is wired, f you use a look-alike, Patricia dies. Cheryl will get in her car, no one is to be in the car with her, no one is to follow her, no air surveillance, no car surveillance, of any kind will be tolerated. I will give directions over. a cell phone as Cheryl drives. She must make the drop at exactly 3:00 A.M. She will follow each instruction to the letter." He hung up immediately.

"We can't let her go alone." Hotch said

"He said, if he sees anyone-" Davenport began.

"I know." Hotch nodded, "one car, unmarked. Tinted windows." He glanced around the table looking at us. I nodded slightly, in agreement with Hotch's plan.

"If he sees one of you, and Trish dies…." Davenports voice shook, "if my daughter dies…" I looked down slowly.

"Trust us Mr. Davenport." Gideon said. He nodded slowly. Cheryl prepared the money, and got into a car. Hotch and Morgan were the ones who were to follow her in an unmarked car.

"Cheryl's car had GPS, we'll be able to track her." Spencer said through a phone to Morgan on speaker.

"Doc, the first thing he's gonna have her do is switch cars. Where are we headed?" Morgan asked. Spencer looked closer at the computer that was tracking Cheryl.

"Let's see…an address which appears to be…a rental car lot." He spoke regrettably. I sighed leaning back in the chair

"Thanks doc." Morgan replied before hanging up.

"I hate waiting." Elle walked around the room, "hey Reid?" Spencer looked up at her.

"What was going on in Hotch's office this morning?" She asked. I suck further into my seat resisting the urge to groan.

"Uh…" Spencer cleared his throat, "my father wanted to talk…Hotch said we could talk in his office."

"How'd it go?" She asked.

"As well, as I had expected." He replied simply, I could hear a ting of anger lacing his voice. Elle nodded before leaving the room. I could feel Spencer looking at me, slowly I looked over at him. He smiled softly at me before grabbing my hand gently and lacing his fingers with mine. I smiled softly back at him. We waited in the house, when Gideon's phone began to ring, he picked it up and began to talk to the person on the other side. It was Hotch explaining what had happened.

It was never a ransom drop, if was a second kidnapping

Morgan came through the door first. Immediately Davenport came over to him.

"Cheryl's alright." Morgan reassured him. He engulfed Cheryl in a hug as soon as she came through the door.

"Hey." Elle said.

"Hey." Morgan replied in a tired voice. Just as everyone entered, the phone rang. Morgan held up his finger in silence before clicking the answer button.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" The unsub asked, "a little running around, getting our pulses racing. Are you there Cheryl?"

She didn't reply.

"Are you there?! Tell me you didn't feel a slight tingle, a thrill run up you spine. Huh? But those clever and cunning FBI agents deduced my little plan just in time. They figured it out. If they hadn't I would have had both of you. The whole set…The matching pair."

 **Why a pair? Set? Why refer to them in this way?**

"Why are you doing this?" Cheryl asked.

"Because you asked me to, Cheryl. You asked me with your glances."

I looked up at the others, they seemed confused, Cheryl shook her head.

"The way you talk, those little gestures." His voice rose. Morgan came and pressed the mute button.

"What are you doing?" Cheryl looked at him with wide eyes.

"Do not answer this man." Morgan replied firmly.

"You asked for this! You asked for it Cheryl!" The unsub exclaimed. Cheryl pushed Morgan's hand away and pressed the button again.

"What do you want?!" She demanded.

"What do I want?! You!" He answered, "it may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but I promise you, we will be together!" He hung up. Cheryl sat down, Gideon was thinking silently. After a moment he sat down with Mr. Davenport.

"We can't let Cheryl talk to him any further." Gideon told him.

"Why not?" She asked.

"It's only feeding his psychosis so allow your interaction." I told her, "Was Trish involved in any serious relationships prior to the kidnapping?" I looked at Cheryl and her father.

"With the boy that was killed." Davenport nodded, "they were together for two years."

"Trish didn't want me to tell you," Cheryl turned towards her father, "they were getting engaged." I heard Gideon sigh.

"Well, that certainly could have been the unsub's stressor." Gideon looked over at Spencer and I. We both nodded.

"What-what does that mean?" Davenport asked, "will someone please tell me what we're dealing with here?"

"De Clerambault's syndrome, otherwise known as erotomania, the belief that someone usually of a higher social status, but not necessarily a celebrity is in love with you." Spencer explained.

"Erotomaniacs believe that the objects of their affection are subtly professing their love for them, through looks, gestures-" I continued before Gideon spoke.

"Glances." He said, "he said, 'you asked me with your glances'."

"The unsub truly and full-heartedly believes that Cheryl and Trish are in love with him." I spoke, "they don't tell him thi with their voices, but through looks and gestures. He's obsessed with them." Cheryl and Her father stared at me with confused looks. I cleared my throat shifting slightly in my seat.

"What does this mean?" Davenport looked to Gideon.

"He is the most determined kind of criminal." Gideon answered. After that he left to go into the kitchen to talk to Morgan and Hotch.

"He wants to sound sophisticated." I said looking over my notes.

"He doesn't use contractions." Spencer added.

"We're gonna apply pressure." Gideon announced coming into the room, "he's gonna call back." Again we waited for a while before the phone rang. Gideon stood in front of the buttons, he let the call ring. Davenport tried to reach for the button but Gideon stopped him, "hold on, hold on." When he finally did answer he hung up on him right away.

"What are you doing?" Davenport asked confused. Gideon didn't answer, again the phone rang.

"Agent Gideon?" Davenport asked again.

"Hello?" Gideon answered the phone.

"Tell me there was a technical issue with the line, and you did not just hang up on m-." The unsub was cut off by Gideon hanging up.

"What the hell are you doing?" Davenport asked moving closer. The phone ran again.

"Aren't you gonna answer it?" Cheryl asked.

"Why is he doing this?" Davenport began to panic, "what is he-what-what, you're gonna drive this guy crazy. Just answer the phone."

"Be quiet. Please, quiet." Gideon held up his hand, the phone continued to ring.

"Somebody has to answer it!" Cheryl exclaimed.

"Just answer the phone." Davenport pleaded, "answer the phone! For god sake pick up the phone!" Hotch and Morgan held Mr. Davenport back.

"Don't touch it!" Gideon commanded, finally he picked up the phone, "Davenport residence."

"Are you out of your mind?" The unsub asked, "You do realize, you do understand, that I'll kill her?! Do you-"

Again Gideon hung up the phone, and again the phone rang.

"You're killing my daughter! Pick up the phone!" Davenport struggled against Morgan's grip.

"Be quiet." Gideon ordered, "Mr. Davenport, get a hold of yourself." Cheryl was holding her hand to her mouth as tears ran down her cheeks.

"She is dead!" The unsubs voice erupted over the phone, "you hang u on me again, and I rip her open!" I glanced over at Gideon, he didn't look alarmed.

"I'm sorry you must have the wrong number." Gideon spoke before hanging up.

"Come on, Gideon." Morgan said softly.

"You killed her." Mr. Davenport spoke weakly from the floor.

"No sir." Gideon shook his head.

"Oh, yeah? Then what-what the hell do you think you're doing?" Davenport asked.

"I'm saving your daughter Mr. Davenport." Gideon responded. Again the phone rang.

"Have a little faith." Gideon said before answering the phone. I played with the hem of my shirt sleeve as I listened.

"Put Cheryl on the phone." The unsub demanded.

"No. You're finished talking to Cheryl."

"Listen to that tone of authority." The unsub scoffed, "just like you published work agent Gideon. Fascinating to hear the same arrogant quality in your own voice. You are a bit pedant. Jason, a bit didactic?" He used his first name.

"Well, that's a very interesting conclusion." Gideon replied, "you sound intelligent, and you certainly sound educated, and…we both know that's not true."

"Oh, I know all about all of you." He spoke, "the ambitiou agent Hotchner? Do you wanna be director of the FBI someday, agent Hotchner?" He asked, "would you step on Jason Gideon to get there? I think you would. Posttraumatic stress is a very good excuse. Even you sick, pregnant wife can't get you to leave your post." He almost laughed, "Jason Gideon an expert in Criminal Psyche, yet unable to diagnose the artistic leanings of the very insecure Dr. Reid." I glanced at Gideon then over at Reid as the unsub said his name.

"Well, maybe he and make money counting cards in Las Vegas." He continued, "the young and beautiful Dr. White, what she lacks in social skills she makes up for in knowledge, she clearly knew enough to keep hidden, while her parents were getting shot." He spat. I felt my heart skip a beat as he mentioned my parents, I could feel the others glanced at me, then I felt Spencer's hand grabbbed mine but I didn't look at him.

"The lovely Elle was promoted too soon. She doesn't have what it takes to make it in the B.A.U boys club. You're no threat to me, you're no threat to anyone. And Token Derek Morgan wants to be taken seriously, but he is just a pumped-up side of beef. I know who you are, I know how you think, and I know what to do next! Do you?!" He yelled before hanging up. Looking over at Gideon I saw him earring a small smile.

"What the hell was that?" Davenport asked, "why did he say that he knows what to do next? Is he gonna hurt my daughter?" He looked around at us frantic. Slowly. Gideon shook his head.

"He was grandstanding."

"You don't know that. You-you can't possibly know that."

"Mr. Davenport, I have learned more in the last five minutes than in the last 24 hours.

"Oh really?" Mr. Davenport asked his voice hoarse, "well. I don't understand. What is he focused on you right now?"

"Because we are interfering in his relationship with the girls." Morgan answered.

"He said he knows all about you."

"Yes, apparently." Hotch answered still holding his shoulder.

"He profiled us." Morgan added.

"Why would he do that?" Cheryl asked.

"To show us how smart he is." Elle answered.

"Often times the best profilers are the unsubs themselves." Spencer spoke, "they're the ones able to walk into an arcade full of children and pinpoint the boy or girl that can be led out quietly.".

"But he made a mistake," I began sitting up more, "he gave us something he didn't mean to, or expect for that matter."

"Which is?" Davenport asked.

"He told us how to find him." Gideon answered. Hotch went out of the room to make a few calls to the office.

"You said you were gonna do something, you said you were gonna find my daughter." Davenport stood in front of Gideon anger in his voice, "why don't you get out there and do something? What are you-everybody's standing around here, looking-"

"Mr. Davenport." Gideon began but he was cut off.

"No! Don't-don't patronize me, don't-" Suddenly an agent from the local office came up to Davenport and began to pull him away.

"Tessa?" Gideon called my name. I looked up at him.

"Are you okay?" He questioned gently.

"Yeah." I nodded clearing my throat.

"In ordered to the unsub to know that much about us, he has to be one of us." Morgan stated.

"I'm having Garcia do a search of the New Haven FBI field office." Hotch said as he entered the room, "the guy we're looking for knows this house, he knows the family."

"There are 700 agents in New haven and another 70 in satellite offices. Davenport knows quite a few of them." Spencer stated.

"While we're narrowing the list, Cheryl can't stay here." Elle said, "if he's one of us, he has access, weapons and you bet he's got a strategy."

"So who can we trust?" Morgan asked shaking his head.

"No one." Hotch replied, "we need to get Cheryl to a safe house."

"And limit the amount of agents she comes in contact with." Morgan added. Morgan and Elle got a team of a few agents together and moved Cheryl to a safe house. The house was quiet now. My phone rang as I was sitting next to Spencer.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Tessa, it's Elle." She spoke through the phone, "Something's been bugging me."

"What?"

"You know how they did a bug sweep right when we arrived?"

"Yeah." I nodded recalling the event in my head.

"And yet the unsub seems to know all about us." She replied, "you know what non-local interaction is?"

"Action at a distance, the concept in physics of nonlocal interactions. Principle of locality, the opposite of action at a distance."

"Yeah…what are you thinking?" I asked confused.

"How can he be holding Trish prisoner, and still know exactly what we're talking about?" She asked.

"I know what you're saying, he seems to know what's going on here the moment it happens, like when you told Cheryl to empathize, he repeating the word…" I agreed.

"There has got to be a listening device." Elle said.

"But they swept the room when we got here." I replied.

"Yeah. And then they brought in their own equipment." She replied.

"I'll take look." I told her before hanging up.

"Do you have a screwdriver?" I asked turning to Spencer.

"What? No." He shook his head confused.

"Elle thinks there might me a listening device in the equipment they brought in." I said quietly. Spencer looked down in thought for a moment before getting up and walking into the kitchen, he came back with a screwdriver.

"It's probably in the main counsel." I told him pointing to devices on the table. He began to try and open it.

"What's going on?" Gideon asked coming over.

"We think there's another listing device." I said, "the unsub knew our plan."

"Found it." Spencer said as he opened the counsel. Gideon got closer and pulled out a listening device.

"Agent Shyer," Gideon went over to Mr. Davenport, "he called you by his first name, you know him that well?"

"He works out of the New York office, I know his father. We've met socially on occasion." Davenport answered.

"Has he been here before?"

"A few times." Davenport answered, Gideon slammed the device on a table.

"Call Morgan." He ordered. Hotch took out his phone and tried.

"He's not picking up."

"We need to get over there." Gideon ordered, "let's go." Spencer and I followed him out quickly. We were on our way there when Gideon's phone rang.

"Elle?" He asked, he nodded a few times before hanging up.

"We know where Trish is." Gideon said, and told the cop to go to an old warehouse, "Hotch is gonna take care of Shyer."

What Shyer told Elle was a true, we found Trish in an old warehouse, she was alive. They took her and her family to the hospital.

"Hey, how did Elle get Shyer to give us Trish's location?" Spencer asked as we began to walk back to the car.

"I imagine she found some creative way to persuade him." Gideon answered.

"What do you think-" Spence began before Gideon cut him off.

"You know, maybe you don't have to ask so many questions. Let's just enjoy the moment." Spencer nodded and smiled slightly. The plane ride was quiet, and I simply read on the way back.

"Alright everyone, go home and get some sleep." Hotch said as we exited the plane.

"Night Hotch." I called as he left, "Night Spence." I kissed his cheek softly, and he kissed my forehead head befor we got into different cars.

Pushing the door of my apartment open, I found it the same as it had been before. Dropping my stuff by the door I turned on the lights. Walking into the kitchen I began to make tea. Suddenly my phone rang.

"Hello?" I picked it up and smile at the voice from the other side, "hey aunt Ruth. Yeah I'm fine," I replied to her many questions about how I was. She then went on a rant about how I don't call enough.

"Sorry," I apologized, "how's Uncle Owen?" My aunt Ruth then went on to tell me how life was in her world. I laughed slightly, "yeah, well, I'm glad you guys are doing well. It's really late here, Aunt Ruth, can I call yo tomorrow? Thanks, bye." I hung up the phone and sighed looking at my cup on the counter, picking it up I headed to bed. No telling what tomorrow will bring.

 **Hope you guys enjoyed, let me know what you think!:)**


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